Swan Song
SWAN VALLEY - Marian Matthew Seaman, 87 of Swan Valley, passed away Feb. 14 surrounded by her loving family. She and her twin sister Marilyn were born in Butte Aug. 27, 1932 to Lee and Marguerite Wilhelm.
She graduated from Bigfork High School in 1950, then moved to Missoula and worked at Brownie’s In and Out Drive In. The family always went there for hamburgers with ketchup and relish until it closed.
Marian married John Matthew on Feb. 20, 1951 and they moved to Swan Valley where they raised their children. She worked beside John to run the farm, milking cows, raising chickens and pigs and putting up hay on shares each summer- from Rainy Lake to Salmon Prairie. John passed away in 1977.
She set up a meat cutting shop after John died. Then worked for Jim Busch when he opened Hungry Bear waiting tables, washing dishes and cooking steaks. She is still the best cook ever.
On Oct. 24, 1979 she married her long-time friend Bob Seaman and they enjoyed many years together traveling to Baja, camping on the beach and fishing in the ocean, making life-long friends along the way.
After Bob passed away, she moved back to the Swan to the lovely home her sons built for her. She gardened, quilted, cooked and entertained there. Her grandkids and great grandkids loved to cook, garden and sew with Grandma Marian.
She passed her strong work ethic on to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren - Marian always had a to-do list and believed you had to do some ‘work’ every day. She had a strong faith in God and her fellow man. She sewed beautiful altar cloths for the church.
She taught herself how to use a computer and graduated to computerized sewing machines. She would read directions over and over. She was a perfectionist. She was a beautiful seamstress and quilter. Her creations are works of art. Even after her Parkinson’s diagnosis she still made a quilt or blanket for every great grandchild that was born.
She was an amazing cook. With salt and pepper for seasoning, she could out cook anyone. She was famous for her spud-nuts (donuts), cinnamon rolls, Butte pasties, mincemeat and huckleberry pies. She worked as cook in a hunting camp for several falls in Canada. The hunters worried more about getting back to camp for her full course meals than getting a moose. She came up with her Moose Camp Mustard, a variation of Bob’s famous hot mustard. She enjoyed learning from the First Nations guides about their ways.
She was preceded in death by: her daughter Janet; both of her husbands John and Bob; her parents Lee and Marguerite Wilhelm; and her brothers Patrick, Richard and Jeffrey Wilhelm.
She is survived by: her twin sister Marilyn Wilhelm; brothers Jerrold (David Cheifetz) and Glenn; her children Jean (Brad) Curtiss, Roland (Lynda) Matthew and Ronald (Tori) Matthew; her grandchildren Shane, Pamela, Kevin (Sarah) Curtiss, Cole (Sarah) Sullivan, Heidi (Cory) Crocker, Christie (Clint) Norenburg, Heather (Steven) Pitman, Andrew Matthew (Kali Matt), Jonathan (Jamie) Matthew, Katie (Travis) Gleason, Lindsey Matthew (Brandon Haskamp) and Brian Matthew (Steve Davies); and her great grandchildren Addison, Lilly, Macie, Colbie, Cayle, Dawson, Teyah, Dante, Kylie, Henley, Luke, Emerson, Connor, Aubrey, Dakota, Darby, Camden, Ella and Alyssa.
The family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Rosetta and Hospice of Missoula for the care they provided.
Cremation has taken place. Marian asked that memorials go to the Swan Valley QRU or the Lady of the Swan Valley Catholic Church. A Catholic mass and celebration of life will be held in the Swan this summer. Plan to come with a Marian story to share and bring any quilt or wall hanging she made to showcase.
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