Nellie Blanche Bignall

– Nellie Blanche Bignall was born May 7, 1924, in Frazee, Minnesota, to Herman and Hazel Bignall, the fourth of nine children. She passed away Tuesday, March 17, 2015, at the Village Health Care Center.

Nellie left Hill City, Minnesota, at a young age to move to Rapid City, South Dakota, with her Uncle Orlando and Aunt Ethel Simons to help care for their first child. Eventually, they moved to Great Falls, where Orlando worked at the East Base, now known as Malmstrom Air Force Base, and Gore Hill, now the international airport. Nellie met her future husband, Jim Wilkins, there and together they returned to Hill City. They had three sons, James, Jerrold and Jonathan.

Nellie and Jim went to Hastings, Nebraska, where they worked at the Naval Ammunition Depot. They later returned to Great Falls, where Nellie worked 10 years at the Central Market and later at Buttery's supermarket.

In May 1965, Nellie married Master Sgt. Robert Taylor. Nellie started working at the Paris, a retail store, in 1973. Nellie met Monty Bowman in 1977. Monty was an important support person to Nellie during Robert's extended illness and eventual death in 1992. Monty and Nellie moved to Sandpoint, Idaho, where they lived for 12 years. They then moved to Missoula, where they could both be closer to family members. Nellie was gifted with an extended family through Monty – son, Bob (Pat); son, Babe; (Marta) and six grandchildren. Monty passed away in 2009.

Nellie moved into the Grizzly Peak retirement community in 2009, where she resided for two years. She made many friends there and enjoyed playing weekly bingo and pinochle games. Health issues required her to need more extensive care resulting in her move across the parking lot to Hunter's Glen. Nellie expanded her friendship base there and became involved in a number of activities, including being the president of the resident council. Nellie had fond memories of her stay in both facilities. In January, Nellie caught the flu and was not able to recover from the effects. She was placed at Village Health Care where she received excellent care.

Nellie is survived by her three sons, James (Pam), Jerrold and Jon (Sue); eight grandchildren, Terrie Lynn (Fred) Peres, Jimmy (Shelly), Jamie, Cody, Cheyenne, Donnie, Nic (Brynn) and Melissa (Chris) Rodriguez; and seven great-grandchildren with three additional great-grandchildren to be born in the coming months – a girl to Jimmy and Shelly and twin boys to Melissa and Chris. Nellie is also survived by brothers, Arlo and Vic (Ann); sisters, Marvel, Colleen (Jack) and Helen; sister-in-law, Shaloy; numerous nieces and nephews and their families; the extended Bowman family; and special friends, Suzanne and Don Levens, Nancy Johnson, Bob and Barbara O'Brien, and Mary and Lou Bryant.

A memorial service will be held at Hunter's Glen at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22.

Cremation has taken place and her ashes will be interred in Hill City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the University Congregational Church, where Nellie was a member, or a charity of your choice. The family thanks the church for all the support and visits members gave Nellie through the years and to the many caregivers who made her life comfortable.
Read Nellie Bignall's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.