Wilma May (Krumsick) Welty, 84, passed away peacefully Saturday morning, May 18, 2024, at Peace Hospice in Great Falls from cancer. Each of the kids and many of the grandkids were grateful to have spent some precious time with Mom/Grandma in the prior days and weeks.
Wilma was born May 3, 1940, to William and Gwendolyn (Remington) Krumsick and grew up on the family farm southeast of Big Sandy. She attended school in Big Sandy and graduated from Big Sandy High School in 1958.
Wilma and Pat were married on June 7, 1958, and settled in Big Sandy, where they farmed and ranched with Gene and Cora Lee Welty at the Welty Bros. farm in the foothills of the Bears Paw Mountains east of Big Sandy. Wilma worked at Ophus Tax Service in the 70's and 80's and often wintered with the kids in Big Sandy while working. Wilma was active in St Margaret Mary's Church Alter Society and did bookkeeping for the church, local grocery store, and motel for many years. Wilma was a master at ceramics and each year would create a custom nativity set to be raffled off for the church. In her later years, she moved on to quilting and creating intricate table runners, ornaments, and the like. Pat and Wilma moved into Big Sandy in 2006 when Pat retired from farming. He and Wilma wintered in TX for many years, stopping off in KS en-route, traveling between families and enjoying the grandkids. They enjoyed holidays with Val and her family and attended Power sporting events when they could, especially if competing against BSHS.
Pat and Wilma celebrated 60 years of marriage on June 7, 2018, with the "mountain couples" – Duke and Dolly Pursley, Wally and Deanna Genereaux, and Gene and Cora Lee Welty – as they had for many milestone anniversaries. These families spent many winter nights, in younger years, playing cards together. They, and several other families, were summer campers at Beaver Creek, Sheehy Park, and Faber's for many years.
Over the last few years, Wilma greatly enjoyed the weekly pinochle games with her friends at the Mint, and then at the Front Range Assisted Living center in Fort Benton.
Wilma was blessed with 4 children and 14 grandchildren – Pam (Sean) Brown of Lawrence, KS and their daughter Morgan; Valerie (Keith) Smelser of Power, MT and their children, Michael, Jon (Anna), Jordan, Hope, Veronica, Brady, and Emory; Brian (Shannon) Welty of Corinth, TX and their children Nate, Breanna, Sarah, and Harli (Aaron); Mark (Annette) Welty and their children Joshua and Rebekah. Wilma also has 2 great-granddaughters, Laila (Harli) and Talia (Morgan).
Wilma was preceded in death by her loving husband Pat Welty in August of 2018, as well as her parents, William and Gwendolyn (Remington) Krumsick and her sister Norma (Krumsick) Ophus.
The sacrament of Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 24, 2024, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Margaret Mary's Catholic Church, in Big Sandy, MT. Burial will be in the Big Sandy Cemetery, followed by a reception at the Parish Hall. The family requests memorial donations to be directed to The Dedman Foundation, thededmanfoundation.com, (406) 622-5657, or to the donor's choice. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements. Please visit Wilma's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.
