Marie Louise Baune Konesky (affectionately nicknamed “Reeber” by family and friends) passed from this world on Sunday, August 10, 2025, just four days shy of her 80th birthday. She made her home at Overland Court Senior Living in Boise, Idaho, since January 2023.
Marie was born on August 14, 1945, in Great Falls, Montana, to Cecelia (Gertrude) Tacke Baune and Frank Baune. She grew up just a mile and a half outside of Sun River, where her childhood was filled with small-town charm, wide-open spaces, and plenty of adventures. She attended grade school in Sun River and graduated from Simms High School with the Class of 1963.
After business school in Great Falls, she began her career at the Montana Farmer-Stockman, serving Montana’s farmers and ranchers until 1974, when she married Tom Konesky of Eden, Montana. Together they raised two children, Michelle and Todd, and worked together on the ranch for nearly 20 years. After their divorce in 1994, Marie moved back to Great Falls, where she joined Tractor & Equipment Company, eventually retiring in 2012. Retirement didn’t slow her down much as she briefly worked as a hostess for bus tours with a travel company, a role she enjoyed, though she decided she liked true retirement even better.
Marie lived life with both roots and wings. She was a proud member of the Eden Home Demonstration Club, a supportive and active school mom, and in her younger days, a fierce softball pitcher whose grandmother never missed a game. She helped found WOW, “Women On Wednesday,” a lively group of friends from “The Gulch” (Tracy, Centerville, Stockett) who still meet monthly to share laughter and life.
A talented pool player and longtime member of the American Pool Association, Marie spent many years playing for Little Chicago and always worked to improve her game. Her Catholic faith was a cornerstone of her life, and she was a devoted member of Holy Trinity Parish in Centerville.
If you knew Reeber, you knew she had a sweet tooth the size of Montana. She never met a dessert she didn’t like, wedding cake especially, and even had a “candy room” in her home where every day felt like Halloween for visiting friends and family. She also had a bucket list with a little extra kick — like riding a bull (yes, she really did it, broken bones and all).
Marie loved a spirited debate, true crime shows, and cheering on her beloved Dallas Cowboys. Her arrival at any gathering was often announced by the sound of Oldies but Goodies blasting from her car radio. She had a gift for making life feel brighter, and no matter what she was going through, if you asked how she was doing, she would beam and say, “Wonderful!” …and she meant it.
Of all her roles in life, Marie would tell you her greatest joy was being a mom and a grandmother. She embraced both with a full and generous heart. She met life’s challenges with kindness, humor, and grit, a combination that made her deeply loved and impossible to forget.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Cecelia and Frank; her brothers, Bernard and John; and her nephew, John Jr. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter, Michelle (Ian) Tulloch, and their children Eli, Ryan, Alisa, and Kelsie; her son, Todd (Deisa) Konesky, and their children Caleb, Bradyn, and Ainsley; along with many cherished extended family members and dear friends who will carry her stories, laughter, and spirit forward.
A funeral mass will be held on Friday, September 5, 2025, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Centerville at 11:00 a.m. A procession to Mount Olivet Cemetery will follow, with a reception at the Schnider Funeral Home Hospitality Room, 1510 13th St. South, Great Falls.
Marie’s life was full of faith, friendship, and joy, or as she would say, it was simply “Wonderful.”
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