Margaret Schmaus

Rosary: will be held on Monday, May 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Davids Catholic Church in Broadus.

Funeral mass: will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Boyes Community Hall.

Rite of Committal: will follow in the Boyes Cemetery.

Meg, Mom, Grandma Mouse, friend, neighbor, care giver, teacher, historian, and Mom Margaret Williams Mills Schmaus filled all of those shoes and more. She passed away on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the Powder River Manor in Broadus.

Moms life started at Pinele, Montana on a cold blustery day, October 6, 1919, born to Roy and Bessie Smith Williams. Margaret would join two brothers, Clinton and Steve, and a few years later she was joined by a younger brother, George. Margaret always spoke of the good times growing up on Box Elder Creek playing with neighbor kids: Woolstons, Martindales, and Browfields, and eleven cousins of Uncle Bill and Aunt Annie Williams.

The old log school house still stands where Mom attended grade school on the Lambert Ranch. She graduated from Ekalaka High School and then went on to Billings Normal School. After graduation she came home to teach in that same log cabin as her first teaching job. She then moved up the road to teach at Pinele. It was while teaching at this school that a courtship sprung up and she was married to Jack Mills in 1940. To this union, four children were born: Vivian in 1942, Slug in 1943, Marilyn in 1946, and Steve in 1948.

Margaret was a great outdoorsman, which she inherited from her father, Roy, whom she accompanied to Canada, the Rockies and many parts of Eastern Montana on various hunts. She also spent many days hunting with us kids and Grandpa Trucano. She shot some trophy deer. Margaret later returned to her early love of teaching after Jack died and taught several schools around the area including Lamberts, Hammond, Biddle, Bay Horse, Huckins, and Lame Deer. She returned to college in 1968 to ear her Masters Degree from Eastern Montana College in Billings, Montana. Margaret loved collecting antiques and spent a good portion of her life pursuing this passion.

Through AA, Margaret met Carl Schmaus and they were married in 1976. She moved to the Rosebud with Carl and enjoyed many years with her extended family Leo and Marcyes Schmaus, Jack and Carol Bailey, Sharon Schmaus, and their families. Margaret and Carl traveled many miles to auction sales and AA Meetings. They operated an antique shop on the Rosebud and held many AA Meetings in their home at Mile Marker 11 north of Lame Deer, Montana. Margaret enjoyed hunting and nature. She could identify nearly every bird and the color of its eggs she could identify nearly all plant species and every wild flower. Many hours were spent hunting artifacts and training her kids to do the same.

Her great asset was her ability to accept anyone for who they were and find good in all. She was adopted by her Indian friends in Rosebud County; cherished her friends in AA, and faithful to her Catholic beliefs. She was a charter member of the Boyes Community Club.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Vivian (Ben) DeLeo, Slug (Poppy) Mills, Steve (Sis) Mills, Jack (Carol) Bailey, Marcyes Schmaus, Ron (Ruthie) Stevens, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild. She is also survived by her many extended families: Giacomettos, Trucanos, Wetherelts, and Steven, George, and Bud Williams families, Dale (Karen) Amende, Bub Morgan, Bud Nelson, and Ken Jesse.

She was preceded in death by her older brother, Clinton in World War II Combat over the Marianne Islands; she lost her brother, Steve, in a plane crash in 1953 with Bud Hanson; her father, Roy, died of a heart attack in 1954; her mother, Bessie, died in 1964; her brother, George, died in 1990; daughter, Marilyn, in 2004; her husband, Jack, in 1963; her son, Leo Schmaus and daughter, Sharon Schmaus; and her husband Carl Schmaus in 1993.

Our family would like to thank Ken Jesse for his sponsorship in AA, which has led to over 48 years of sobriety for our mother, and also to the great staff at the Powder River Manor for their faithful care these past few years.

A Rosary will be held on Monday, May 9, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Davids Catholic Church in Broadus. A Funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the Boyes Community Hall. Rite of Committal will follow in the Boyes Cemetery. Stevenson and Sons Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.stevensonandsons.com

Should friends desire, memorials may be made to the Powder River Manor or to the charity of one's choice.