Maryetta F. Bauer, 75

Maryetta F. Bauer was freed from her artificial constraints of a wheelchair on April 5, 2020, while surrounded by the love of her family. Her passing embodied her life, conducted with a personal command of her destiny. With purpose.

Purposeful is a pretty dang good description of her life. Maryetta was born in Polson on May 21, 1946. She grew up in Great Falls and Missoula, but Polson was always home in her heart. Polson, and her grandparents’ home on the mountains of the East Shore, were her “north star.” The teachings of her grandparents, Julius and Olga Peterson, and adventures with her cousins on the mountain were fundamental to who Maryetta became. She was purposeful, hardworking and cared for all creatures, especially those with four legs.

Maryetta married Blasius “Bob” Bauer Jr. in Missoula. While their marriage wasn’t for a lifetime, it was sure full of life. As Blasius worked for the family business and later his own construction company, Maryetta worked at “The Merc” in downtown Missoula and later helped design and plan custom and spec homes. At the Mercantile she started by counting inventory in the hardware department before moving to the coveted fabric department. She made clothing to promote the fabrics for the window mannequins, which highlighted her seamstress skills. Maryetta was an extraordinary seamstress with a great eye for design. Her design skills and love of working with her hands led her to make and tool her own riding chaps and saddlebags. She also designed the “Tag-A-Long,” a riding pad for behind the saddle that allows young children to ride comfortably with their parents on long trail rides. She made and sold Tag-A-Longs across the Rockies and Alaska.

Maryetta was happiest in the wild on a horse. Her favorite places were the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Pintlar Range. She brought her daughters, Kelly and Kerry, on her adventures. In 1976 Maryetta and Kerry rode the Montana section of the Pony Express. She hunted, fished, skied, raced snow mobiles and could slalom ski from a standing position.

Maryetta, Kelly and Kerry moved to Polson in 1980, and Maryetta began living the life of a single mom, learning to be financially independent. Maryetta worked days as a receptionist in a law firm and had a wallpaper-hanging gig on the side to make ends meet. She was poor, but she was never broke.

In 1983, Maryetta was bucked from a horse and suffered a spinal cord injury. She was 38 years old. Your average person would be devastated by this, especially one who loved the outdoors and being independent as much as Maryetta did. Maryetta underwent years of operations, in-patient surgery in Montana and Colorado, and prolonged recovery and therapy in Los Angeles. However, through it all, Maryetta’s drive and purposefulness kept her going — she wanted nothing more than to return to her life and, most importantly, to Montana.

Returning to Montana after rehab, her girls grown, Maryetta’s sense of purpose needed a new home. She was instrumental in getting the Mission Valley Animal Shelter running through her work with the Polson Folk Shop (which was one of the first places in Montana to offer recycling options). At the Folk Shop, Maryetta hired developmentally challenged adults and those simply in need of an opportunity to rejoin the workforce. There she was again, driven by purpose.

On her 50th birthday Maryetta joined Smoke Elser on a pack trip and returned to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, by horse. She also traveled to Alaska to fish with her father and returned to the slopes of Big Mountain with the paraski program. She even purchased a specialized horse trailer adapted to her physical challenges so she and her beloved horse, Rye, could ride and camp. Rye was such a special horse; he was her legs to explore the wild, once again.

Maryetta had a passion for access to public lands and access to health care. She had a strong belief that these are fundamental rights, and she wasn’t afraid to let you know. In 2018 Maryetta joined the Women’s March in Seattle carrying a sign that said, “Protect Our Public Lands.” The Montana Comprehensive Health Association appointed Maryetta as a board member representing uninsurable residents, and she served in that position for 14 years. This work allowed her to influence health care insurance options for not only Montana but for the uninsurable everywhere. Maryetta tells the story of traveling through the White House kitchen, which led to the only accessible elevator, after a national health care conference. Maryetta claimed she was the only woman in Montana to bring both senators to their knees. She treasured her photograph with Sens. Baucus and Tester kneeling beside her wheelchair.

The birth of her grandchildren, Porter, Olivia and Bryce, gave Maryetta new purpose. She loved them fiercely; there was nothing to get in the way of her being there for her grandchildren. She took them on grand adventures, made their costumes, patiently listened to their stories, taught them to love crafting and working with their hands, and shared her love of horses through Rye.

Maryetta aged with purpose. She designed and supervised the creation of her home on Haack Road, which allowed her to live independently. Adding accessible features to her home such as a paved sidewalk leading to raised garden beds (and the pleasure of fresh lettuce and tomatoes). She loved to pass on her secrets for making pickles and the perfect huckleberry pie. When the time came to add “helpers” to aid in independent living, she cared as much for helping the “helpers” as she received.

Maryetta left the constraints of her wheelchair surrounded by her family. Her zest for life continues through her children and grandchildren and all those who benefited from her purposeful life. Maryetta’s powerful parting words to her grandchildren were: “Never fear trying something new. Be patient with yourself. I love you all more than you can ever know.”

Maryetta is, and will continue to be, missed by many — her family and her friends who are family. She is survived by her daughters, Kelly Bauer MacDonald (Scott) and Kerry Bauer (Phil), and her grandchildren, Porter Counts, Olivia MacDonald Klepper (Emet) and Bryce MacDonald. Maryetta is also survived by her sister, Sheryl McKinsey-Sanders; niece Lilly Sanders; son-in-law Webster Counts; and beloved cousins Marilyn, Marsha, Jan, Maureen, Randi and Gail. Maryetta was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys and S.N. (Mac) McKinsey; her brother, Lauren McKinsey; and her nephew, Fletcher Courtnage-McKinsey.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 36997 Haack Road in Polson.