Lynnette Lake

Just Cremation

Flags across Montana were at half staff on the last day of 2024 to honor the loss of one of her dearest daughters. Lynnette Lake passed while caring for her family, as she so often did. While the rest of the country was mourning the death of President Carter, Montana residents were grieving the death of a mother, grandma, sister, cousin, friend, dog-mom, fun instigator, terrific cook, and organizer extraordinaire. Lynnette was born on December 26, 1955 to John and Dorothy Miner in Hardin, Montana. A pioneer in a family that would soon be bursting with siblings. She had many opportunities to hone her leadership skills. The family moved to Billings, Montana in 1964 into an idyllic neighborhood with plenty of neighbors and kids to befriend. She welcomed her first daughter Jennifer into her adventures in November of 1975, starting her own little family. She married Archie Lake in the summer of 1979 and the little family was completed by the birth of her second daughter, Sarah in 1980. The adventures, however, were nowhere near complete. The little family would make their home in many wild, beautiful parts of Montana before settling in Helena. Beloved friends Toby and Callie, John and Kathy, Herb and Karen and many others would join them in the fun. There was work to be done as well, Lynnette utilized her sharp, strategic mind to carve out a decades long career with the State of Montana, Office of Public Instruction. Of course, she made a group of tight-knit friends of a slightly higher caliber than winos which dubbed themselves “The Vinos.” She will be remembered by many who crossed her path. Many were drawn to her loving nature or were hapless participants in her grand plan of adventure. If you were nearby, you were included and invited in her plans and there wasn’t a lot of room for argument. She was known as the Queen of Everything by her family and her friends and her rule dictates that we gather together and we have a good time doing it. Lynnette loved us deeply and fiercely and has cemented together a large, sprawling group of loyal subjects dedicated to merry-making. Lynnette’s presence touched so many lives. Her devoted dog, Teddy would refuse to eat while she was away and is probably still to this day searching for her at home. We are all a little lost without Lynnette.  The duty-free shops around the country are feeling the sting as well. Gin, Jameson and tequila futures were down 5% in early morning trading. To camping enthusiasts far and wide she was known as Trixie. And when she was out eating with her sisters, other diners would know her as “lady, could you keep it down?” Legend has it she even managed to get a whole crowd at the Billings Music Festival out of their seats and dancing using her patented dance move The Butt Bonk. She continues to touch lives in the physical realm through her incredibly generous act of organ donation. Lynnette is survived by two daughters Jennifer Lake and Sarah Britton; three grandchildren Mikayla Britton, Jazzylynn Britton, and Isabella Britton; five siblings Collette (Norman) Fry, James Miner, Janette (Mark) Kahler, Paulette (Brett) Boutin and Camette Miner; nieces and nephews Megan Fry, Jonathan Fry, Heather Kahler, Dan Miner, Adam Miner, Brandon Miner, Jordan Miner, Austin Boutin, Autumn Boutin, Aurora Boutin,  Gwynn Knight, Jude Knight and  countless friends. She is preceded in death by her dear Archie and her parents, John and Dorothy Miner.  To her daughters, Jenny and Sarah, Lynnette’s passing is perhaps the most painful. But with her gifts of strength and love her daughters will carry on Lynnette’s legacy of giving and joy. Her siblings are also feeling grief. There will be many moments of sadness. But with time they will share in the fun of planning parties, camping trips, and deciding who will jump in the freezing mountain creek first. Her partner Daniel O’Haire is hurting as well, but will one day be fondly remembering their shared adventures as he begins new ones. Those of us here on earth have a bittersweet task in front of us. We must hold fast to the precious memories Lynnette gave us as gifts. We must also grow from our grief and learn from her example to continue  making those memories in her stead. Lynnette’s future journey is one of peace and mystery. Her body will return to the earth to nourish the natural treasures she loved so much in her travels. Her spirit will return to those of her tribe that left before her. She will be reunited with her mother, from whom she learned a love of family. And her father who taught her how to have fun. She will meet her husband Archie with whom she raised her children and had many adventures. She will rejoin her pack of Molly, Bailey and Nanook. She will live on in the recipients of her final gift of organ donation. And, if he is very lucky, she may run into Jimmy Carter and teach him how to run an organization. Readers, wherever you are when you read this, take a deep breath and allow yourself a deep sob. A true treasure is no longer with us. Then, when you’re able to pull yourself together from that puddle, dust yourself off, fix your crown and plan your next adventure with your tribe. It’s what Lynnette would have wanted. A celebration of life is planned for Summer 2025.

When words can’t fully express what we want to say, sometimes a small gift can. Visit our Memorial Store for personalised gifts, keepsake jewellery and to plant a memorial tree.

We use cookies to improve your browsing experience and analyse site traffic. 
See our <privacyLink>Privacy Policy</privacyLink>.

<firstParagraph>We also use third-party cookies that help us analyse how you use this website, store your preferences, and provide content and advertisements that are relevant to you. These cookies will only be stored on your browser with your prior consent.</firstParagraph><secondParagraph>You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies, but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience.</secondParagraph>

<firstParagraph>We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.</firstParagraph><secondParagraph>The cookies that are categorised as 'Necessary' are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionality of the site.</secondParagraph>

Advertising cookies are used to provide visitors with personalised adverts based on the pages you previously visited, and to analyse the effectiveness of ad campaigns.

Advertising

Analytics cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

Analytics

Functional cookies help perform certain functions, such as sharing the website’s content on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

Functional

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

Necessary

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indicators of the website, which helps deliver a better user experience for visitors.

Performance

Customise Cookie Preferences

Verification Successful!

New Message

The following files could not be uploaded

Ways you can honour {memorialName}'s memory:

Donation Link

Upcoming Event

Featured Mementos

Welcome message

Select an item to highlight

Add a highlighted item

Customise which items you’d like to highlight on the memorial

Create Account

Become a Keeper

As a free {brandName} user, you will only be able to make 5 photos and videos public.

As a free {brandName} user, only the first five (5) Mementos are visible to page visitors. You can change which Mementos are public by dragging and dropping a photo or video into one of the first five positions. Upgrading to {brandName} Plus will make all 10 selected Mementos visible to the public.

All Mementos

This option is only available to Keeper Plus users.

To allow yourself and the wider community to view all images and videos, and to enable everyone to download their own copy of these mementos, upgrade your account to Keeper Plus.

This memento is not visible to visitors

Your community has posted {itemCount} more pictures and videos that honour {firstName}'s memory. To view them all, and to enable everyone to download their own copy of each, this account will need to upgrade to Keeper Plus.

View all images and videos with Keeper Plus

Our Obituary Assistant helps you craft a meaningful life story in minutes. Review and edit every detail, and unlock more features with Keeper Plus.

Obituary Assistant

Spend as much time as you need working on your Memorial page before it is visible to the public, and much more, when you upgrade to Keeper Plus.

Save Page as Draft

Create unlimited event pages and unlock a suite of powerful features to help you seamlessly coordinate event details, invitations, and more when you upgrade to Keeper Plus.

Event

Create a complete picture of your loved one’s community and add unlimited family and friends to Loved Ones when you upgrade to Keeper Plus.

Loved One

Create unlimited Memorials — and unlock unlimited images and videos, event pages, and advanced privacy settings — to help you keep memories alive when you upgrade to Keeper Plus.

Memorial Page

Add unlimited Stories to highlight all the things that made your loved one unique, from milestones, images, albums, documents, locations and much more.

Highlight Stories

Upgrading to Keeper Plus means you can add additional Keepers to help you gather Mementos and tributes, approve content, build a family tree, and tell {firstName}'s story on Keeper.

Invite Keepers with Keeper Plus

Upload and display unlimited photos and videos, use unlimited Story templates to highlight key moments, and allow friends and family to download their own copies when you upgrade to Keeper Plus.

Better Mementos with Keeper Plus

To access memorial-related configurations that control the display of the banner, upgrade to Keeper Plus.

This configuration is not available on your current plan

Create a meaningful link path to add a personal touch to {firstName}'s memorial.

Custom memorial link

Gift Messages

SENDING AS A GIFT?

Basket

About 1-800 Flowers

"Flowers were beautiful and they arrived in time before the funeral. Thank you and I will purchase more in the future.!"

Tears of Joy

"Beautiful flowers. I’ve always enjoyed sending them to my loved ones as a sympathy gesture, and they have always loved them very much. Thanks for helping people feel good when receiving them."

Condolences

"This was true to the photo, and it was good to know the family took the arrangement after the service."

Beautiful arrangement. Perfect size for the service.

Some of the wonderful things our customers say about us

We’re here to make it a little easier, with thoughtful gifts for the service and home, along with expert advice on how to be there during a difficult time.

Flowers

Gift Hampers

Express Your Deepest Sympathy

About Us

Perfect Sympathy Gift

No one is meant to grieve alone

Peace and love

Product is made, packaged, and sent with love

Keepsakes

How to add your gift message

Packaging Information

Shipping information

Add a Personalised Charm to the Ornament:

Other Keepsakes

Install KeeperQR onto any headstone, urn, or other memorial in minutes.

Install

Use your phone or tablet to scan the unique code — no other tools required!

Scan

All three of our elegant KeeperQR designs are printed on durable, weather-resistant aluminium, designed for indoor and outdoor use on headstones and urns, memorial benches and trees, or other monuments to your loved one’s life.

Built to Last

Get <discount>50% off</discount> Keeper Plus with your KeeperQR purchase

Keeper Basic

Learn About Our Plans

Connect the physical and digital worlds to share your loved one’s life story with friends and family, no matter where they are.

KeeperQR Memorial QR Code Plaques

Planting a memorial tree or bereavement tree is a unique, environmentally conscious way to pay tribute and honour the memory of your loved one. Keeper Memorials is supporting American Forests to plant whitebark pine trees as well as thornscrub trees in select regions of the US and Canada.

Memorial Trees

KeeperQR is designed to pair seamlessly with a Keeper digital memorial. Use our FREE, intuitive tools to create biographies, maps, and timelines, share photos and videos, and more, with customisable features built to commemorate your loved one’s life story.

Powered by Keeper

Lifetime access with no hidden costs or subscription traps

One-off payment

Keeper is SOC 2 compliant, keeping your memories safe and secure.

Data protection guaranteed

We deliver your QR Codes to any corner of the world

Worldwide Delivery

Our durable and beautiful QR code plaques create a seamless connection between your loved one’s physical memorial and their digital memorial, allowing visitors to their final resting place instant access to their life legacy.

Memorial.

Honour their memory, share their story

A KeeperQR is a weather-resistant plaque with a custom QR code that links directly to your loved one’s digital memorial. When placed on a headstone, urn, bench, or tree, it allows friends and family to scan and view their life story instantly.

What is a KeeperQR?

They’re made to withstand the elements outdoors and adhere to most surfaces.

Where can I place the KeeperQR?

How does it work?

Frequently asked questions

KeeperQR

E-Certificate Design

Plant Memorial Trees as a Living Tribute

BRAZIL

Canada

FLORIDA

OREGON

Memorial Project Reach

Memorial trees start at {price} per tree, with discounts for multiple trees

Our Commitment

Gift Hampers & Food

Keeper Plus

QR Plaques

Keeper’s Featured Products

A Greener Way to Remember

Learn about our partners:

Help Us Complete Your Order

Remembrance Store

Using your unique link, your client can sign up for Keeper and create a Memorial for a loved one. Once the Memorial page is completed by the family, it will appear on your microsite and website. You will be the primary Keeper Administrator of the Memorial, along with the family member who created the page.

Invite Your Clients to Create a Memorial

Invite Families

Your Email Notifications

Notifications

Email Unsubscribe Settings

Other settings

With your active Keeper PLUS subscription, you get unlimited access to a suite of powerful features:

Allow visitors to download a local copy of all photos and videos.

Download Media

Create a custom and meaningful URL, unique to your loved one, for each Memorial page.

Editable URL

Plan public or private events and invite your loved ones.

Event Pages

Add images and create profile pages to illustrate the history and genealogy of your loved one.

Family Tree

Invite unlimited administrators to help you manage every Memorial page you have.

Keeper Administrators

Visitors enjoy unrestricted access to all uploaded images and videos.

Unlimited Media

Create unlimited Memorial pages for your loved ones.

Memorial Pages

You will be able to upload Full HD videos instead of embedded links.

Video Uploading

Your Profile

Add a business user

Edit a business user

Are you sure you want to delete these users from these brands? You will need to manually add these users again.

If the user is part of multiple brands, you will have to delete the user from each one individually.

Delete Users from Brands?

User Settings & Notifications

Users

Are you sure you want to delete these users? This action will revoke their privileges across all brands.

Are you sure you want to delete this user? This action will revoke their privileges across all brands.

Delete Users from all Brands?

Delete User from Brand?

Are you sure you want to delete {totalDeletes} from this user?

Delete Roles from this User?

Are you sure you want to delete this user from this brand? You will need to manually add this user again.

Delete User from this Brand?

Requires users to confirm their email every time they would like to share a tribute on a Memorial page.

When Email Tribute Validation is turned OFF, guest users do not need to confirm their email address before their tribute is published.

When Email Tribute Validation is turned ON, Guest users will need to confirm their email address before their tribute is published. They will receive an email with a confirmation link they must click.

Requires users to confirm their email only the first time they would like to share a tribute on a Memorial page.

Email Tribute Validation

If Reported Content is turned OFF, content that has been reported will remain public until it has been Approved or Removed from the Requests Centre.

If Reported Content is turned ON, content that has been reported will be hidden until it has been Approved or Removed from the Requests Centre.

Hide Reported Content

Language

Your email notifications

Email notifications

Are you sure you want to delete the memorial for {name}? This action will permanently remove the memorial from the system.

Delete memorial?

When Memorial Request Moderation is turned OFF, memorials will be published automatically.

When Memorial Request Moderation is turned ON, memorials will only be published if and when you approve them. Memorials can be published or deleted in the Requests centre.

Memorial Request Moderation

Using your unique link, your client can sign up for Keeper and create a Memorial for a loved one. Once the Memorial page has been completed by the family, it will appear on your microsite and website. You will be the main Keeper Administrator of the Memorial, along with the family member who created the page.

Moderation settings

This will permanently delete your account. The business account and business page will not be deleted. To deactivate your account, another admin user must be assigned to your organisation.

Are you sure you want to deactivate this account?

When Override Tribute Moderation is turned OFF, the tribute moderation settings on Memorial pages will be hidden, and other Keepers cannot override the tribute moderation settings specified by your organisation.

When Override Tribute Moderation is turned ON, other Keepers can view and change the tribute moderation settings of the Memorial pages they manage. (Each Memorial page will default to the organisation’s tribute moderation setting upon creation.)

Override Tribute Moderation

If AI Content Moderation is OFF, text areas containing profane language will be published. Tributes can, however, be reported and removed at any time.

If AI Content Moderation is ON, text areas containing profane language will not be published and the user will receive an error message.

AI Content Moderation

When Tribute Moderation is turned OFF, tributes will be published automatically. Once published, users can report inappropriate or spam content. You can delete immediately any tributes published on a Memorial that you administer.

When Tribute Moderation is turned ON, tributes will only be published if and when you approve them. Tributes can be approved or rejected in the Requests centre.

Lynnette Lake Obituary | Just Cremation