Gay Marie (Minnerath) Anderson, 68, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family, Monday, February 26, 2018.
She was born to Raymond and Ida (Fjeldheim) Minnerath on April 7, 1949, in Glasgow, Montana. She attended school in Saco until she was in the 7th grade when her family moved to Glasgow. Here she spent the rest of her school days until she graduated in 1967. This enabled her to make lifelong friends from both Saco and Glasgow.
She married Richard Larry Anderson and while they were married, had one son, Gary Thomas Anderson in 1968 and a daughter, Jennifer Marie Anderson-Munden in 1971. In 1981, she married John (Butch) Leckie. Though they later divorced, they remained lifelong friends to this day.
After high school, she worked at Cable-Vision for a few years. She then went to work at the Department of Health and Human Services for the state of Montana where she eventually retired after 30 years of service.
Her family was her pride and joy. She dedicated herself to creating the most wonderful memories with those she loved. Some fondest memories include late nights playing rambunctious games of Spoons, an endless supply of milkshakes, baking monster cookies in the kitchen, sending random care packages to her grandkids that always smelled of cookies, and having the best Easter egg hunts. She had the best house to make endless forts complete with its very own doorbell. Her house was, the “MacGyver” house – she always had whatever someone was looking for. All they had to do was ask and she would point them in the right direction to find it. Her kitchen was a place of gathering for great food, games, and stories. She had the most incredible knack of creating a fabulous sense of home. A sense of comfort just came over anyone who stepped through her door and she made everyone feel welcome in the warmth of her home.
Along with her love of family, she poured her passion into quilting, Bunko nights, enjoying her beloved dog Rango, cooking for her family, and tending to her flower beds. She knew anything and everything about birds and how to entice them into her yard.
She built wonderful friendships with many. She especially enjoyed coffee and drives with her lifelong friend Sue Garsjo and morning breakfasts at the Oasis with her beloved friend Gloria Robertson whom she considered both to be more like family.
She was preceded in death by her parents Ray and Ida, her sisters Betty (Minnerath) Fielder and Kerry Ann (Minnerath) Ross, a nephew Mike MInnerath, and a grandson Ethan Munden.
She is survived by two forever loving children; a son Gary (Brenda) Anderson of Glasgow and a daughter Jenny (Travis) Munden of Missoula, grandchildren; Katelin (Taylor) Anderson of Missoula, McKenna Munden, Kinley Munden and Haiden Munden of Missoula, and Gage Anderson of Glasgow, four siblings; one sister Shari Minnerath of Billings, three brothers Ken (Alice) Minnerath of Laurel, Don (Holly) Minnerath and Bob (Patty) Minnerath both of Saco; and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a memorial service and inurnment will take place in the Saco Cemetery at a date and time to be determined and announced.