MARCIA ANN WARREN

OBITUARY
July 4, 1941–Aug. 14, 2016
Marcia Ann Warren, age 75, died peacefully at her home in Plains, surrounded by her husband, and their three children on August 14, 2016.
Marcia was born in Superior on the Fourth of July and always enjoyed the fireworks that were “just for her,” and rightly so — for 75 years. As was our custom, we had a great party this year with nearly all the family present and close friends, too. It meant so much to her to have that celebration!
Marcia is survived by her husband of 58 years, Gene Warren. They met in the summer of ‘57 when Gene was a young college student studying Forestry and Marcia was finishing her last years of High School in Superior. They were married August 22 of 1958.
Although Marcia’s title in life would be foremost a mother and housewife, she was very much involved and a part of the various businesses which the Warrens owned in life. In the first 7 years Gene worked as a bridge engineer for Montana Highway Department on the new Interstate Highway from Missoula to Lookout Pass. They also were raising a family and purchased land from Marcia’s grandparents on Twelve Mile Creek. With the help of Dick and Donna Feldbrugge, they built a vacation cabin which both families used for hunting, fishing and weekend use.
Later on they purchased the Broken Heart Guest Ranch which they operated as a guest ranch and hunting lodge. Marcia’s kitchen was famous for the home-cooked meals for the hunters and other guests. She helped with the big job of planning for the food, and packing it for the hunting camps. She loved to accompany Gene on horseback into the camps to set up tents and repair the corrals before hunting season began each year.
During the summers she would organize fish fries and cookouts for the ranch guests, friends and family. Her siblings, Ed, Eileen and Patti would often come to the ranch and stay with them. Gene’s nephews from Oklahoma: Mike, Tony and Jesse, at one time or another also came for the summer and would help with the ranch chores and the land surveying business that Gene and Marcia owned. Their 3 children, Julie, Ron and Dori learned to ride horses, love animals, entertain guests and help with the Ranch, too.
In the early Seventies, Marcia and Gene were among the founding members of the Montana Nightriders Snowmobile Club in Haugan. They were instrumental in building the warming shelter on Taft Summit, the various trail-grooming programs and equipment, fund-raisers and numerous races and special events over the next 40+ years.
Later in life, Marcia started making hand-sewn baby quilts for relatives and friends. She made dozens of these quilts and they were original and beautiful. She was also known for her beautiful flower gardens and lawns. Gene and Marcia loved going to the “Griz” games and many local high school games as well. Marcia loved to use old sayings and figurative language. Her children and grandchildren remember them fondly. Upon arriving home it was always “Home again, home again, jigitty-jig” and she and her father Ed would always say, “See you later, alligator” when the kids were headed home from the grandfolks. And as simple and nonspecific as it may be she comforted them all, many times, with “What’s meant to be...is meant to be.”
When Gene retired from his surveying business they moved back to Plains in 2008 and built their dream home, rustic and beautiful. She delighted in her yard and landscaping every where they lived over the years and at Plains especially, they took joy in Gene’s bountiful garden.
This couple was as close to inseparable as they come. They enjoyed the simplest pleasures - from riding the gravel roads for miles, maybe bringing back huckleberries, grouse, fish or a deer, (depending on the season) to feeding thousands over the years at fish fries and barbecues. Nothing delighted Marcia more than welcoming people to their home, feeding them and enjoying laughs. Often she would say everything they had for dinner was from food they had grown or was from meat they had put in their freezer. Many people could tell a funny story but what we enjoyed the most was her laughing at those stories.
Though Marcia and Gene had numerous successful business ventures, she was always first and foremost a wife, mom, grandmother and great-grandmother. She stayed very busy keeping “all the kids” busy and entertained and never missed a birthday or anniversary. Just as her father, Ed, said in his final days with a big smile on his face, “Just look at all the kids...”
Marcia is survived by her husband of 58 years, Gene Warren. In addition, their three children: Julie (and Chuck) Gatewood of Superior, Ron (and Deb) Warren of Plains and Dori (and Blaine) Stulc of Belgrade. There are six grandchildren: Wendy and Jake Downing, Jessie and Nick Warren, and Andrew and Trevor Elliott as well as 2 great-grandkids: Jolene and Auto Allen. Marcia has one brother Ed (and Jan) Sansom of Lebanon, OR and 2 sisters: Eileen (and Glenn) Smith of Missoula and Patti (and Warren) Thompson also of Missoula. In addition, Marcia’s step-mother Lucille Sansom resides in Missoula. There are numerous nieces and nephews, as well.
Marcia is preceded in death by her mother, Harriet George and father Edwin Sansom. The family would like to thank everyone who has sent flowers, cards and made phone calls to them at this very difficult time. A private Memorial Service will be held Saturday, September 10th. For those wishing to make a donation in Marcia’s name, the Outreach Programs of the Church on the Move Assembly of God in Plains were special to both her and Gene: The Food Bank and Firewood Programs, among others.