Charlotta "Lottie" Eaton M.D.

1951 - 2025

Charlotta "Lottie" Eaton, MD

February 15, 1951 - March 15, 2025

Dr. Charlotta Eaton passed away at her home in Billings on March 15, 2025. Dr. Eaton served in the medical community of Billings for more than 25 years. During that time, she expanded medical care in Nephrology and Palliative Care. As a strong woman of science, she served as a mentor to female members of both the Billings Community and her family. She opened doors for women doctors and elevated them toward equality of all physicians. She taught her students to practice medicine with love and a view of equality and worth for all and an awareness of the unique needs of each patient.

Lottie was born in Glendive, Mont. and raised on the family farm in northeastern Prairie County. She was the sixth of ten children born to Esther and Frank Cecil Eaton.

She attended the one room Union School through the eighth grade and then was valedictorian at Terry High School, graduating in 1968. As with all her siblings, she attended Montana State University earning her degree in 1972 in pre-med. She went on to Medical School, attending the University of South Dakota for two years and earning her MD from Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1976. She did her Internal Medicine Residency at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital (West Penn) in Pittsburgh. Choosing to specialize in Nephrology, she started her training fellowship in 1979 at West Penn.

Shortly after, she met her future husband, Curt Starr, as they helped Curt's best friend from childhood move into his apartment as he started his residency at West Penn. She and Curt were married on the family farm in July of 1980. Returning to Pittsburgh, Lottie joined Renal Endocrine Associates in Pittsburgh practicing at West Penn and two other area hospitals.

In 1986, Lottie and Curt decided to move west to whichever city in which the first of them got a job. Lottie was recruited by doctors practicing at St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings to start an independent Nephrology practice. She hung out her shingle in October of 1986 in the basement of the Medical Arts Building across from St. Vincent's main entrance.

By having a nephrologist on staff, St. Vincent was able to start their open-heart surgery program as well as having in-patient hemodialysis available. As her practice grew, she recruited Dr. Grace Kim to join her practice. As demand for hemodialysis rose and the dialysis unit at The Billings Clinic became crowded, Lottie reached out to Dialysis Clinics, Inc. (DCI) with whom she worked in Pittsburgh. After a quick analysis and single visit, DCI started construction on their new dialysis unit, then on Village Lane in Billings. Demand kept rising so Lottie and Grace brought Dr. Margie Tevlin into the practice forming Montana Nephrology Associates.

In December of 1996, Lottie's sister Alice passed away suddenly, and Lottie and Curt became instant parents to Alice's sons, Carl and Tony Schmidt. These nephews became sons very quickly, and a wonderful addition to Lottie and Curt's lives.

In the 1990's Lottie started feeling the effects of Rheumatoid Arthritis, slowing her down and limiting her activities. Despite treatment with biologic medicines, her pain limited her ability to take night and weekend call so she retired from Nephrology in 2004. She then started practicing Palliative and Long-Term Care, first in the hospital and then becoming Director of Long Term Care for St. Vincent's seeing patients in the area nursing homes. The Rheumatoid Arthritis became too much to keep practicing medicine, and she fully retired in 2014. Her experience with her nursing home patients with dementia led her to start lecturing for the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association until once again, the pain became too great.

Lottie and Curt chose Montana to be close to Yellowstone. During their time in Billings, they tried to spend at least three or four long weekends in the Park each year. Lottie kept journals of the all the animal sightings and geyser eruptions. As her arthritis progressed, they became more "fair weather" wolf and bear watchers and geyser gazers. They tried to visit as many National Parks as possible, visiting 27 Parks from Maine to California.

Lottie was very close to her sisters. After FaceTime came around, she had daily video chats with her three remaining sisters. They also had "Sister Weeks" where they got together at one or the other's homes or went on excursions to interesting destinations.

Lottie was always known for her caring and compassion. She was very proud of being invited to and being honored at a Sun Dance on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation by her patients and their families. She also was gratified and embarrassed when her former patients' families recognized her and thanked her for the care of their departed loved ones.

Lottie was preceded in death by her parents, Esther and Frank Cecil Eaton; her sister, Alice Schmidt; and her brother, Elner Eaton. She is survived by her husband, Curt Starr; and her sons, Carl Schmidt and Tony Schmidt (Jessica Dolbear); and Jessica's daughters, Autumn and Maya Dolbear. She is also survived by her sisters, Marilyn Martin, Connie Sumida (Steve), and Priscilla Wrobetz. Her surviving brothers are Ed Eaton (Adela), Lee Eaton (Connie), Tom Eaton (Linda) and Ben Eaton. Also surviving is her sister-in-law, Miriam Starr; and Carl and Tony's father, Corey Schmidt. There are many nieces and nephews, along with seemingly innumerable great-nieces and great-nephews.

Many thanks to the nursing staff and physicians on 3 Fortin at St. Vincent's Hospital, Riverstone Hospice and Visiting Angels who helped her through her final weeks.

A remembrance will be held later this year.

Donations are appreciated in her name to St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, Riverstone Health Foundation and the Montana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association.