Josefina “Josie” Balois Baje, 71, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 27, 2025, after bravely and gracefully enduring a seven-year battle with cancer.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 8, at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Spirit Catholic Parish, 201 44th Street South, Great Falls, MT 59405.
Josie was born in Hernani, Samar, Philippines, on December 27, 1953, the middle of nine children to Adelardo and Rosario Baje. She learned resourcefulness out of having very little — whether it was food, clothes, a modest nipa hut home, or money. Yet she enjoyed her life as a child: climbing coconut trees, sneaking fruit from the neighbors’ trees with her sister, and embracing joy wherever she could find it. She grew up resilient, a strength that carried with her into adulthood and shaped the way she faced every challenge that came her way.
In 1973 she moved to Olongapo with her sisters, where she began cooking the street food and dishes that would later become her signature. A year later, she met Dennis Murphy, marrying him in June 1975. They welcomed their first child, Michelle, in 1976, and soon after moved to Montana. Josie arrived in America with little English, no familiarity with snow or landlocked country, but with courage and adaptability that carried her through every chapter of her life. She and Dennis had two more children, Christopher and Jennifer, before settling in Great Falls in the late ’80s.
Following her divorce in 1988, Josie became the embodiment of grit as a single, immigrant mother. She worked tirelessly as a CNA, often taking multiple jobs to provide for her children. Her dedication earned her admiration and deep respect at the hospital and in the wider community.
Josie never stopped giving — to her family, her church, and her Filipino community. She organized fundraisers and gatherings, and her cooking became legendary. Her lumpia, adobo, pancit, and sesame chicken carried with them the taste of home and the warmth of her heart. In 1998 she opened her restaurant, Josefina’s, a brave leap that introduced Great Falls to the foods of her heritage. Even after throat cancer forced her to close its doors, Josie returned to caretaking, a calling she fulfilled with compassion and grace until the end of her life.
In 2016 Josie met the love she had long awaited, her husband Dave Johnson. Together they built a joyful life, traveling the world, returning to the Philippines, and spending cherished time with her children and grandchildren. Even after her cancer diagnosis in 2018, Josie never let illness define her. She filled her years with laughter, travel, family dinners, photographs, and quiet moments she could revisit over and over.
Josie’s greatest joy was her family. She is survived by her husband, David Johnson; her children, Michelle (Damon) Fleming, Jennifer (Drew) Fleming, and Christopher Murphy; her grandchildren, Kyran Murphy, Chloe Murphy, Dylan Fleming, Lelaina Fleming, and Logan Fleming. She is also survived by her beloved sisters Francesca Yabora, Nita (Chris) Perry, Fe (Mike) Keith, Delphina (Jerry) Davis, Delia Amen, her brothers Marshall Baje, and many nieces and nephews around the world — including Mariza (Greg) Shaw, who lovingly cared for Josie during her visits to MD Anderson.
Josie was brave. She was smart. She was deeply loved. She lived a life that inspired her children, lifted her community, and left everyone who knew her better for having been loved by her.
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