Mary Jo Plummer

Mary Jo (Pease) Plummer, 84, died of natural causes on Saturday, April 8, 2006, at her apartment in Polson's St. Joseph Retirement Community. Born on Aug. 25, 1921, in Butte, she was the fifth of seven children born to Helen (Vlymen) and attorney Harlow Pease.

Mary Jo grew up in Butte during the 1920s and '30s and had fond memories of riding the trolley car to the legendary Columbia Gardens Amusement Park. She attended high school proms at the Gardens dance pavilion and even rode the roller coaster there in her prom dress. As a kid, she and her brothers and sisters loved playing hide and seek in their big house in uptown Butte, and Mary Jo often camped with her sisters on the Continental Divide near Butte. Through the years, she enjoyed dancing, ice skating, sledding on the Butte hills and playing tennis; she was also a gifted piano student, Campfire Girl, and camp counselor on Georgetown Lake.

Mary Jo went to the University of Montana in Missoula, where she met Bob Plummer. She became a war bride in Butte in April 1943. After the war they moved to Detroit, for Bob's work. There, they raised seven children and were married for 57 years until Bob's death in July 2000.

In 1982, when Bob retired from Uniroyal Tires, they moved back to Montana — this time to Thompson Falls. There, Mary Jo was an active member of the St. William's Catholic Parish and a historian for the Thompson Falls Senior Citizen Center. The couple enjoyed 18 retirement years there, until Mary Jo moved to Polson after Bob's death.

Her seven children remember her teaching them how to do the jitterbug dance and the "boogie woogie" in their living room. They also fondly recall her delicious home-cooking, especially her Butte pasties. Her family will miss her unsinkable sense of humor.

Mary Jo was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob, brother Paul Pease and sister Joan Jasmin.

She is survived by all seven of her children: Bill Plummer (and wife, Carol) of Colorado Springs, Sister Mary Ellen Plummer, O.P. of Adrian, Mich.; Kathy Gatto of Polson; John Plummer of McLennan, Alberta, Canada, Maggie Plummer of Polson; Virginia Plummer of Tucson, and Liz Presley (and husband, Darrell) of Gilpin County, Colo.; three sisters, Fil Schoenfeld of Seattle, Ruth Keys of Chelan, Wash., Harriet Goetsch of Rochester, Minn.; brother Richmond Pease of Trout Creek; cousin Pat Gilbert Russell of Thousand Oaks, Calif.; nine grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Plummer family is grateful to the dedicated staff at St. Joseph Retirement Community for taking such good care of Mary Jo, and for providing a cozy, secure home all these years. Memorial contributions may be made to Lake County Hospice: 711 Main St., Ronan, MT 59864; St. Joseph Retirement Community of Polson and/or St. William Catholic Church: Box 186, Thompson Falls, MT. 59873.

Mass of Christian Burial took place Wednesday, April 12 at the church. Burial was in Thompson Falls Cemetery. Arrangements were under the direction of Bunch-Toews Funeral Chapels.