Marie Anne Stimac

Marie Anne Stimac died surrounded by the love of friends and family near and far on January 30, 2023, in Great Falls, Montana. She died as she lived with faith, goodness, and a fighting spirit.

Marie was born in Great Falls on January 9, 1936, to Irvin “Ted” Winterrowd and Anne Marie Covert. She was a life-long resident with short stays in Lewistown and Colstrip where she met many new friends.

She married Olaf “Ole” Matthew Stimac, Sr. a week after her 18 ^th birthday. It was a union filled with love and adventure that would last 67 years until his death in 2020. Their adventure included eight children of their own including their spouses, nieces and nephews, all the kids on 22 ^nd Ave NW, St. Joe’s and St. Luke’s, and a series of minor league Dodger’s baseball players, plus any child who happened along wanting or needing a mother’s love. She never stopped collecting kids, no matter their age.

Her heart was big and included serving people near and far. Again, she lived her faith. When she was raising her family, she didn’t have a lot of time for outward service, so she instilled in them love and respect for others. It was as natural as breathing and became so for her kids. Her latest concern was the people of Ukraine and how they would stay warm this winter.

While she said her proudest accomplishment and most important occupation was raising her family, Marie was proud of other jobs she held in her lifetime. It began when she was a child helping her mom as a blackout warden during WWII. She also worked as a telephone operator, lunch lady in Riverview Schools, and for a short time as a supervisor during the 1980 Census.

After her kids were grown, she went to work at the Rocky Mountain Treatment Center as a cook. While she wasn’t a counselor or a nurse, she served the residents in the humblest of ways, by nourishing their bodies with healthy food cooked with love and a smile.

Marie and Ole were committed members of St. Luke’s Catholic Church from its beginning in the early 1960s. She taught CCD and served on many committees. In 2000 she and Ole made a trip to El Salvador with others from the church to listen and learn from the people in a small village served by their friend Sister Fran of the Sisters of Providence. When they returned, they shared their experience with the parishioners of the diocese and their friends and family.

This inspired in her a new chapter of service. She joined the Great Falls/Billings Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and was awarded ‘Best International Concerns Commission Project 2003-2005’ when she organized “Black Shoes for Africa.” She learned that many children in Kenya were unable to attend free school in the villages because they didn’t have black shoes to complete their school uniform, a requirement for attendance.  She also organized shipments of books and book bags donated by school children around the state.

It was working with the people around Great Falls that became Marie and Ole’s full-time ministry. They were members of St. Jude Conference, a group that serves Great Falls residents at their time of greatest need, with food, rent, and energy bills as well as love and acceptance.  Marie and Ole joined Holy Spirit Parish around 2015 where they joined old friends from St. Luke’s and made new ones.

Marie and Ole continued their support and love of their kids as they traveled the USA and the world with them.  They attended Major League baseball and football games, watched motorcycle races, attended concerts, visited national parks and the Smithsonian, swam at Waikiki, and in the Indian Ocean and the Aegean Sea. They had great adventures as they rode trains through France, Italy, and Kenya. They were awed by the churches throughout. Marie wanted to visit them all-no matter how tall the spires or humble the cross. They drove the Al-Can Highway (twice). In their last great adventure, they saw their kids climb to the Acropolis.

Despite all these trips, their greatest adventures were found at the family cabin in the Little Belt Mountains. It was there that the family and friends gathered, rode motorcycles, hiked, played, and most importantly, sang around the campfire.  They would look around at all the kids and say with pride “We did this.”

Marie is survived by her children, Cheryl Helmbrecht, Lonie, Olaf Jr. (Julie), Jack (Jean), Ted (Candic), Max (Jaymie), Jay, Krystal; grandchildren, Anthony Zeigler, Steven (Desi), Blake, Matthew, Mark (Carrie), Theodore (Reena McCarty), Dana Bastian, James, Ariel, John (Hailey), Britty (Johnny Walls), Isabella, April (Kirk) Fife, Brian (Jennifer) Helmbrecht, Shawn (Kaely) Helmbrecht, and Kelly (Shane) Alcock; eighteen beautiful great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Frank (Lois); sister-in-law Penny, numerous nieces and nephews; and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Olaf Stimac, Sr; parents, Irvin and Anne Winterrowd; brother Wesley/Sam Winterrowd; sons-in-law, Wayne Helmbrecht and Steven Zeigler, Sr, and granddaughter Olivia Marie.

Memorials can be made to St. Jude Conference c/o Holy Spirit Catholic Church (201 44 ^th St S. Great Falls, MT 59405).

A vigil will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Monday, February 6, 2023, at 11:00 a.m.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/holyspiritgf/ for a live stream of the services.