MaryAnn Bertlin

MaryAnn (Mostad) Bertlin, 80, of Missoula, passed away surrounded by her loving family on Friday, March 3, 2017 at The Springs, of natural causes.
The world lost an amazing woman. MaryAnn (Mostad) Bertlin cared deeply for all her children and was very proud of each of them. Her eyes brightened whenever someone spoke of any of them. The stories she could tell were amazing, yet all true. She was the definition of resilient – she never graduated high school, she lost her first husband, Loren, when he was only 40 and lost her second husband, Stan, 30 years later. She had 10 children - 6 with Loren and 4 'inherited' with Stan. Despite the unbelievable challenges she faced in her life, including raising teenage boys, she raised 10 wonderful children and built a successful business.
MaryAnn was born on June 15, 1936 in Olga, North Dakota to Octave Hector and Yvonne Antoinette Pelletier. She was proud of her upbringing on the farm in North Dakota. She was a daddy’s girl who said “I didn’t do too badly for a share cropper’s daughter!” She attended St. Alphonson Catholic School in Langdon, North Dakota.
On June 2, 1954, she married Loren Jerome Mostad. She loved to hunt and dance with Loren – but usually not at the same time. With Loren, she had 5 sons Gene, Chris, Randy, Nikki and Mike and one daughter Beckie. She loved animals and always encouraged her dogs to crawl in bed and snuggle. She was known to keep baby calves and colts in the house after they were born to nurse them to good health. She loved the Catholic Church and raising her children in the faith. Sunday school was a must in your Sunday best. She founded Loren’s House of Carpets with Loren in Polson, MT in 1958. They moved the business and the family to Missoula in 1967. Loren passed away on March 24, 1974.
She married Stan Bertlin on April 2, 1976. With this marriage, she gained 4 more sons Richard, Brian, Paul and David. Together, they raised all 10 children and affectionately nicknamed the family the B&M Zoo. They cherished weekends at “The Cabin” on Flathead Lake with all their children, their children’s families and friends – 30 people was not uncommon. You could always find MaryAnn in her night gown and bare feet cooking French crepes for the entire group. Grizzly football and “Coaches Corner” Thursday nights at the Speakeasy Lounge were moments of joy for MaryAnn and Stan. They spent countless evenings sharing “useless information” and armchair quarterbacking their beloved Grizzlies. Stan passed away on October 21, 2004.
She enjoyed gardening and maintaining a large rose garden at every home including the new Loren’s Carpet One store at Blue Mountain. A loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, she was a survivor that never gave up whether it was family, business or any other challenge. She was very outgoing and loved to socialize be it the Loyola Sacred Heart BASH auction or Carpet One conventions where she was the God mother of the Carpet One “Montana Mafia”. She liked to bring home stray humans that needed a place to stay. This included 2 young German men attending the Aber Day Kegger. They ended up living with the family for a few weeks. All were welcome.
She is preceded in death by her parents Octave and Yvonne Pelletier, husband Loren Mostad, husband Stan Bertlin and her stepson Richard Bertlin. She is survived by her sons Gene (Nancy) Mostad and their children Loren (Janelle) and Lance all of Missoula, Chris (Jamie) Mostad of Missoula and their daughter Maris (Lorne) Barstad of New Jersey, Randy (Debbie) Mostad of Billings and their children Courtney (Daniel) Crary of Brooklyn, New York and Tanner of Billings, Nik (Sandy) Mostad of Missoula, Mike (Lisa Miller) Mostad and their children Erica, Steven and Kelcie of Missoula, daughter Beckie (Scott) Peterson and children Preston, Lauren and Grace of Missoula, stepsons Brian (Debbie) Bertlin and their children Anna and Elizabeth of Mercer Island, Washington, Paul Bertlin of Missoula, David (Kathie) Bertlin of Missoula, brothers Renee (Barb) Pelletier of Big Lake, Wisconsin, Paul (Gladys) Pelletier of Boise, Idaho, Tom Pelletier in Russia, sisters Sharon (Warren) Agar in Billings, and Judy McDonald in Fargo, North Dakota and very special big brother Keith (Myrt) McCurdy of Polson, Montana. She is also survived by great grandchildren Chip and Charley Miller (Steven) and Brylee Mostad-Haskins (Kelcie).
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Loyola Sacred Heart Foundation, 300 Edith, Missoula, MT 59801 and http://www.missoulacatholicschools.org/lsh-foundation/
The Vigil will be Thursday, March 9, 2017 at 8:30pm at St. Francis Xavier church in Missoula. Funeral Mass will be 2:30pm Friday, March 10, 2017 at St. Francis Xavier church in Missoula. Interment will follow at St Mary’s cemetery. Pallbearers will be Gene, Chris, Randy, Nikki and Mike Mostad and Brian, David Bertlin. Honorary pallbearers are Richard and Paul Bertlin. Following interment, there will be a reception at the Linda Vista Clubhouse on Lower Miller Creek Road.
MaryAnn believed a funeral service and reception were a time for celebration of life and would hope all honoring her would wear anything but black.