HELENA -- Speakers paid tribute Wednesday to Bette Bohlinger, Montana's second lady, as a woman of beauty and business savvy, family and faith and graciousness.

Hundreds of people came to the Cathedral of St. Helena to pay respects to the late wife of Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger in what was called a "liturgy of the word." Mrs. Bohlinger died Jan. 9 of acute leukemia. Her funeral Mass and burial took place in Billings on Saturday.

Among the crowd were current and former elected officials, state employees and members of the staff of Gov. Brian Schweitzer, joined by friends of the Bohlinger family.

Afterward, John Bohlinger stood, tapped his heart, and said to the crowd, "Thank you all. It's been a very heart-warming experience to share this with you."

Bishop George Leo Thomas said a common theme emerged from the reflections of the the six Bohlinger children and 14 grandchildren on Mrs. Bohlinger, who also had one great-grandchild.

"The word, the description is 'gracious,' " Thomas said, citing the dictionary definition of the word as "the quality of having or showing kindness, courtesy, charm."

One daughter told the bishop that Bette Bohlinger had high expectations of the children, encouraging them to participate in music, art and athletics and more. Quoting the daughter again, the bishop said, "We were encouraged to give of ourselves and always put others first."

Thomas said Mrs. Bohlinger possessed "a sensitivity to the poor and needy" and to "the least and the last."

As she was dying, Mrs. Bohlinger fully planned her services in Billings and Helena, choosing the Bible readings, the musical selections and the people she wanted to speak, the bishop said.

Among them was Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who talked about the 2004 election when he and John Bohlinger, who was accompanied by Bette, often campaigned in different parts of Montana. They compared notes, by cell phone, after each appearance. Often when John Bohlinger appeared before a group that might not be seen as too supportive, such as a local chamber of commerce, Schweitzer would call him for an appraisal.

"Brian, they love us," Schweitzer recounted John Bohlinger telling him. "They're all going to vote for us."

"I would say, 'John, could I speak to Bette?' " Schweitzer said. She would give him the unvarnished assessment that some people in the room were for them but others definitely were not.

Shortly before she died, Schweitzer told how a blood drawing was held in the governor and lieutenant governor's wing of the Capitol Jan. 5 to seek matches for bone marrow transplants for Bette Bohlinger and others facing the same disease. Mrs. Bohlinger was there and conducted a number of media interviews in hopes of spurring more Montanans into having their blood drawn.

"Bette had never looked more radiant, never looked more beautiful, never looked more energized," Schweitzer said.

The next morning, Schweitzer said he called her, as he regularly did, for some financial advice on stocks to buy. John Bohlinger reported his wife had had a rough night. She went to the hospital that night, and the doctor, after reviewing test results, told her she had just weeks to live.

"It's not going to be weeks," Mrs. Bohlinger said, according to Schweitzer. "Do you know what this hospital bed costs?"

She went to work "like a tornado," planning for her services and taking care of other family matters, Schweitzer said. Bette Bohlinger died Jan. 16 at age 70.

The governor closed by telling the Bohlinger family and others: "When you arrive at the gates of pearl, when you see St. Peter, you can be assured that Bette has arranged everything."