Mary’s Obituary Mary Louise (Lou) Rosette “Pretty Eagle Woman Who Fly’s”, 64, passed away on Thursday January 31, 2019 at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, Montana due to natural causes. A Wake will be held on Friday, February 1, 2019 starting at 3:00 p.m. with Rosary at 7:00 p.m. and will continue until her Funeral Service at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, February 2, 2019, all held at the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Box Elder; burial to follow in Box Elder Cemetery. Holland and Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Please leave a message of condolence for Mary Lou’s family at www. hollandbonine.com. Mary Lou (Lou Lou to some) was born on September 9, 1954 to Joseph D. and Olive M. Rosette in Havre, Montana.
She was the second of eight children born to Joe and Olive. She attended school in Box Elder and graduated from Box Elder High School in 1972 as the Salutatorian of her class. After High School, she attended the University of Montana for a couple of years and returned home and graduated from Northern Montana College in 1977 with a degree in Elementary Education.
After graduation, she spent a couple of years in Box Elder and then moved to Spokane, Washington where she lived for a little over twenty years. While in Spokane, Mary Lou met and married James (Sam) Bumpas, who was the love of her life. Mary Lou and Sam were blessed with one child, Clarissa Bumpas, who gave her a grandchild, Marlo Bumpas in late 2018.
Her husband Sam passed away in 2003 from a heart attack after which she decided to move back to Box Elder. Mary Lou worked at The Spokesman Review (local newspaper) while in Spokane and retired from the paper in 2005 after Sam’s passing. She moved back to Box Elder shortly thereafter and has lived with her Mom ever since.
Mary Lou worked at Stone Child College for the past thirteen years in various capacities, and most recently as the student retention officer. Mary Lou loved working with the students at Stone Child and tried her best to encourage them to stay in school and complete their education. She especially loved the regular Monday morning Drum Ceremony and always made sure her students had snacks and drinks throughout the week.
She touched many students lives in a good way and always had a welcoming smile whenever they came in to see her. Mary Lou was one of the most prolific/notorious gamblers on the reservation and on any given night you could find her sitting at Jitters or Northern Winz playing the machines until the early hours of the morning. She never really won that often, but when she did, she was always willing to share with her friends and family when they were in need.
I guess you could say that playing the machines was her passion and a way for her to relax, visit with friends, and just take her mind off things. She also loved to play cribbage with her Mom as her partner against her brother and nephew who almost always beat them and stole pegs from them at an alarming rate. Mary Lou was a daughter, mother, grandmother, sister, niece, auntie, god mother, cousin, and friend to many.
She will be best remembered for her quick smile, friendship, and generosity to all those who came into contact with her. She had many “God Children,” too many to name, but she somehow remembered them all. She loved her family dearly and kept track of her brothers and sisters’ birthdays so she could send them gifts as a way of saying she loved them.
On Christmas, she made sure all her brothers, sister, nieces, and nephews had gifts under the tree. While Mary Lou didn’t have much in terms of material possessions, her most cherished possessions were her daughter Clarissa, her new grandchild Marlo, and her Mom. She spent the last fifteen years of her life living with her Mom taking care of her daily needs.
She was so proud that she had a baby in the house and spent many nights with him sleeping next to her and Mom. She always wanted nothing but the best for them and loved them with all her heart. It will be strange not seeing her laying next to Mom watching Family Feud and hollering at someone to get her a drink or a snack.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her Maternal Grandparents Joe and Clara Parisian, Paternal Grandparents Frank and Mary Rosette, Dad Joe Rosette, Husband Sam Bumpas, and numerous Uncles, Aunties, Cousins, Kenny Gardipee, and other friends. Survivors include her Mom, Olive Rosette; Daughter, Clarissa, Son, JR Bumpas, and Grandson Marlo; Sister Pam (Scott) Austin, and Maureen (Rick Holcomb) Rosette of Spokane, Washington; Sister Yvonne (Jon) Hill of Missoula, Montana; Brother Joe (Chine) Rosette, Jr., Sister Kathy (Ronnie Joe) Henry, Brother Neal (Robin) Rosette, and Brother Tim (Lori) Rosette all of Box Elder. Very good friends Tiffany Galbavy, Paul Jilot, and Rosalie Eastman.
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