Marylou Fink

Mary Louise (Marylou) Fink passed away peacefully of natural causes at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls on Saturday, July 13, 2013. Marylou was born May 31, 1926 in LaFayette, Colorado to Lena May and Gerald Norton Piper.She spent her early years in Chadron, Nebraska.The family moved to Absarokee, Montana in the 1930s where she graduated from high school in 1944. This completed her education.Some of her fondest memories were from that time when her parents owned and operated a dude ranch outside of Absarokee.Marylou was the youngest of three children, a sister, Roberta Chicoine and a brother, Gerald (Bud) Piper, both preceded her in death.Marylou married Edward W. Walter in Billings, Montana in 1945. They had three children, Connee (Rich) Janzer of Great Falls, Edward W. Walter of East Helena, Montana and Kristine (Steven) Campbell of Gallatin, Tennessee.They later divorced and she married Roman S. Fink in Billings, Montana on June 6, 1953. They were married until his death in 2007.Marylou and Roman made their home in Helena, Montana, eventually moving to a permanent home at Canyon Ferry Lake.No matter where they lived she made a lovely home for her family. She loved to cook, sew and garden and her children will always remember the aroma of freshly baked pies and fresh flowers adorning the kitchen table.She also loved to hunt and fish and was a wonderful companion to her husband who was an outdoor enthusiast.Marylou worked most of her life. Her last and longest job was with General Services at the Montana State Capitol. She retired in 1980.Marylou was a vivacious and fun loving person with a multitude of hobbies and interests.She was very artistic and it showed in her beautiful flower garden and landscape designs.She loved animals and nature. At one time her husband built a special room onto their home so she could raise and sell canaries. This was short-lived, however, as it proved to be too time consuming. The canaries turned into beloved pets, and the Bird Room turned into a storage area.Holidays and family were very important to her and her children have wonderful memories of summer time holidays out at the lake.Her parents and Romans parents played an important role in our lives and were ever present for holidays and special occasions. We will be forever grateful for those memories.Marylou had nine grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three nephews all of which she loved very much.She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by everyone.Cremation has taken place and private family graveside services will be held at a later date in Absorokee, Montana.A special thank you to all of the doctors and nurses on the PCU Unit at Benefis Hospital, for providing such excellent and compassionate care for our mother. We could not wish for a better place for her to be in her time of need.Also, a very special thank you to the staff, past and present, at Cambridge Court, for providing a safe and caring environment for her to call home these last 5 years.Also, a very special thank you to Mike Parchen, Director of Cambridge Court, for coming to the hospital every single day, to check on our mother and giving very needed support to the family.