Stevensville – Mary Ellen Hurley, 76, passed away on February 3, 2019. Her faith in God and strong Christian belief gave her the strength to battle cancer. After a yearlong fight, she lost her battle and now joins God in Heaven. She was born to William and Marie Haskamp in St. Paul, MN, where she grew up and attended St. Catherine’s University graduating in 1964.
In 1962, she met Don Hurley and in 1965 they married. They moved to Milwaukee, WI, where they raised their three children Jeff, Dave, and Kristina.
Don and Mary fell in love with the Bitterroot Valley and after many vacations to Montana, they moved to Darby in 1981. They eventually settled in Stevensville. Her real passion was quilting. She ran a quilt shop in Stevensville for many years before operating it from her home as D & Me. Mary loved the outdoors and was an avid photographer of wildlife, flowers and the landscape. In 1989, she designed and made the State of Montana Centennial quilt. She loved to travel. Her favorite places were Alaska, Kauai and Germany. But no matter where she traveled, she always loved to come home to the Bitterroot Valley.
She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Don; her children, Jeff (Kelly) of Ohio, Dave (Jennifer) of Missoula, and Kristina of Missoula; her brother, William (Romayne) of AZ and MN; her grandchildren: Amber, Jessie, Lexie and Matt; great-grandchildren: Bentley, Hudson and Cooper.
Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Mission Parish in Stevensville, Thursday, February 7 at 11 a.m.
Thanks to Consumer Direct Hospice for the wonderful care during Mary’s last few weeks. The family suggests that any memorials be made to the Historic St. Mary’s Mission Inc., PO Box 211, Stevensville MT 59870 or your local cancer center. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.whitesittfuneralhome.com.