Teckla E “Teck” Buelke departed her home in Victor on September 5th to be with her Lord after serving Him for 86 years. She was the daughter of Herbert and Elizabeth Mueller and grew up on their family farm in rural Saginaw, MI. She later attended Michigan State University and earned her BS and MS degrees in Food Science and Nutrition. While there, she met and married her husband, Don Buelke, and worked for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, analyzing foods for purity and content while helping put her hubby through his last years of veterinary school.
After graduation, they moved to Boulder, CO, where they had their first daughter, Kristine. As the Vietnam crisis heated up, Don was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force veterinary corps, which stationed them in San Antonio, TX, where they had their second daughter, Karlyn. After his discharge in 1970, they moved to Victor, MT, to follow their calling, build a home, friendships, and faith that sustained their 63-year marriage Teck assisted in her husband’s business while raising her family, which grew to include their son, Kevin, and another daughter, Keri. Her life was about her family and faith. They were also blessed with seven foreign exchange students during these years. She had a passion for gardening, producing ample harvests and canning projects each autumn. As a 4-H leader, Teck shared her seamstress and cooking skills with many young girls. Following her own experience with breast cancer, she energetically volunteered and worked as a trainer with the American Cancer Society. After the last children left for college, she worked as the office manager and bookkeeper for Empire Landscaping of Victor until her retirement. Her faith was bolstered by her active membership and worship at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton, MT, where she served in many ways, including as treasurer and as a bus driver for the “elderly” when she, too, was in her early 80’s!
In their later years, they had a few opportunities to travel occasionally, enjoying a couple of European cruises and sometimes reconnecting with their exchange students to experience their lives in return. Unfortunately, Teck’s declining health precluded further adventures in recent years, keeping travels to short jaunts within the state.
Survivors include her husband, Don, of Victor; their four children and seven grandchildren: Kristine and David Savage (Parker, CO); Karlyn and Dan Gibson (Torrance, CA); Kevin and Taylor Buelke (Colorado Springs, CO); and Keri and David Brown (Nampa, ID); her sister, Marjorie, and Steve Schaeffer (Gorham, ME); and her sister-in-law, Rhoda Phay (Steilacoom, WA). She was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Elizabeth Mueller.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial gift to one of her most treasured charities, Orphan Grain Train at www.ogt.org.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2026 at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com
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