Benjy Lane Tweten
Benjy Lane Tweten, 49, passed away on April 1, 2026, at his home in Billings, Montana. He was a kind and compassionate man who cared deeply for his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
Benjy was born on April 9, 1976, in Glasgow, Montana, welcomed to the world by his mother, Kelly (Kolstad) Bishop, and father, James ‘Jim’ Tweten. Benjy lived with his family at Duck Creek, near Fort Peck, most of his childhood and he attended school in Glasgow until he graduated from Glasgow High School in 1995. He was a competitive athlete, an exceptional runner, and a proud Glasgow Scottie on the football field and on the track.
Benjy moved to Denver as a young man and lived there with close friends until he moved to Billings in 2003 where he “met” the love of his life, Tanya Doke, in 2007. They had known each other most of their lives, both having grown up in the Glasgow area, and their love sparked when they became reacquainted as adults. Benjy and Tanya created a loving home together over the years before they made it official in 2019 when they married at Fort Peck, Montana.
Benjy pursued many careers in his life and excelled at all. He was employed as an HVAC technician both in Denver and Billings until 2007 when he accepted a position with Montana Rail Link. While at MRL, he worked his way up to engineer and often drove the train from Livingston to Helena and back again. After a few years, he desired to spend more time at home and began employment at Spectrum (then Bresnan Cable Services) where he established a career as a cable technician until 2020. After he left his career with Spectrum, he worked several concrete jobs with Bishop Construction. Many of their projects can be seen in local areas, including Lake Elmo in Billings and the fish hatchery at Fromberg. Although it was hard work, he found contentment in working with his hands. His last year of employment was with High Mountain Ag where he operated laboratory equipment and assisted in production. Benjy developed meaningful friendships with his co-workers during all of his careers, which he truly cherished.
Benjy was a talented handyman and could often be found working on some project around his home surrounded by his dogs, Baxter, Asa, & Finn, who were his ever-present assistants. He especially took joy in taking time to play, and was an avid collector of Legos, comic books, superheroes, and all things Star-Wars. He loved playing folf and spent many mornings, afternoons, and evenings perfecting his throw at a park. When spending time indoors, he preferred watching movies, especially at a movie theatre, and would often associate important events in his life with the movie he watched at the time. He maintained a zest for life that was contagious and everyone that knew Benjy looked forward to his visits.
Although Benjy wasn’t super fond of traveling and leaving home, he packed in some adventures. Some highlights include trips to Machu Picchu and the Amazon Jungle, a Star Wars Disney Cruise in the Caribbean, and numerous trips to Chico Hot Springs. He enjoyed exploring nature, especially at Fort Peck Lake, where he could spend hours scouring the ground for rocks and other treasures or just take time for a walk or a swim with his dogs. He had many fond memories of being at the lake, camping, and spending time there with friends and family. For Benjy, the best part of traveling was coming home to relax and revel in the new memories he made, and he was sure to give his dogs a little extra love after returning home from a trip.
Despite a diagnosis of ALS, Benjy continued to live with grit, humor, and an unshakeable love for his family and friends. He deeply appreciated the love and support shown by his family and friends during his illness. He maintained a quiet strength, dignity, and grace until his final days, and is an inspiration to all who were lucky enough to share in his life.
Benjy is survived by his wife, Tanya; mother, Kelly Bishop, and step-fathers, Will Bishop and Ron Miller; father, James Tweten, and step-mother, Ella Tweten; siblings Jeremy Tweten, Zach (Emily) Miller, Tyler Miller, Kara (Ben) Fosland, Kevin (Kaitlin) Tweten, Breanna Callahan, and Christopher Bishop; mother-in-law, Laurie Doke; brother-in-law, Travis (Jessica) Doke; sister-in-law, Alicia Frueh; along with numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends that are family. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Alfred & Eleanor Kolstad and Leonard & Sally Tweten; his father-in-law, Floyd “Shorty” Doke; brother-in-law, Robert James Frueh; and his dog, Lola.
Services will be held at First Lutheran Church in Glasgow, Montana, on May 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. A celebration of life will immediately follow at Kiwanis Park Shelters 3 and 4 in Fort Peck. Honorary Pallbearers: Colby Pittsley, Clinton Trang, Jeremy Tweten, Zach Miller, Tyler Miller, Kevin Tweten, and Christopher Bishop.
