Shirlie "Pum" Bain

Shirlie Pum Bain, 85, of Great Falls died on Saturday, December 3, 2011 at her home of cancer. She passed away in the arms of her loving family. Visitation is at Schnider Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 7, 2011 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 5:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Her funeral service is Friday, December 9, 2011 at 2:30 p.m.at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel.Pum was born September 5, 1926 in Albert Lea, Minnesota to Valeria (Kennedy) Kolberg and Peter Martin Kolberg, their little sugar plum. Her brother, not being able to say sugar plum gave her the lifetime nickname of Pum. Her family moved to Mayville, ND where she spent many years, moving to Minot then in 1940 they settled in Great Falls, where she graduated from Great Falls High School in 1944. She attended Nursing School in Bozeman before becoming homesick, returning to Great Falls. She was attending beauty school when she met the love of her life, Clayton. They married in Great Falls, and spent the next 59 years raising their family and loving life. She worked many jobs in her career, as she was not one to sit still for a minute. When their children were young, she worked for her father, a general insurance agent as a secretary. When all the kids were in school, she went to work full time. She worked at the new mall in Great Falls at Albertsons, then Diana Hughes, and Buttreys at Westgate Mall before working in the receiving room at the Paris for many years. She left there in 1973 when they moved to Helena after Clayton retired from the Great Falls police department as Chief and took a job as executive director of the Peace Officers Standards and Training program which he created. She came back to Great Falls a few years later after convincing Clayton it would be a piece of cake to commute, which he did for 18 years. After that, she worked at Dahls Beauty college, then Blue Cross of MT, where she retired. Not enjoying retirement, she then went to work at Western Medical. After that, she worked at the City Bar in the kitchen for twenty years. When Clayton passed away in January 2007, she took a part time job at Columbia Grain, working both jobs, needing more than ever to keep busy. During all these years, they spent their happiest moments at their cabin at Holter Lake.When you first met Pum, it didnt take long to realize she was one of a kind. Not one to take no for an answer, she could win over the hardest heart while turning them to her way of thinking. She had a hug for everyone and her self deprecating sense of humor stayed with her to the end. Everyone that ever met her will understand what a loss we all face.Survivors include her daughters Lee LaRue of Great Falls, Marte Sorkness (Randy) of Laurel, and Robin Viens (Dale) of Wrentham Mass; seven grandchildren, Brooke Huntington of Morgantown, W.Va.; Brent Roberts of Charlotte, N.C.; Mark LaRue of Great Falls; Tristan Viens-Roderick of Cumberland, RI; Mandy Esco of Denver; Morica Viens-Grott of Mansfield, MA; and Ryan Sorkness of Laurel; sisters-in-law Shirley (Frank)Trodick of Las Vegas, Edmere Kolberg of Minneapolis, and several nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clayton; her daughter Lindy Wilson; brothers John Howard Kolberg in WWII, Laverne (Toby) MacDonald, Russell Kolberg and Harold Kolberg.