JuDee Ann Blockhus

JuDee Ann (Koski) Blockhus, 70, of Hinsdale, Mont., passed away unexpectedly Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016, at the Billings Clinic in Billings, Mont.

A visitation was held on Wednesday, March 2, from 7-8 p.m. at the Hinsdale Lutheran Church. Funeral services will be held Thursday, March 3, at 11 a.m. at the Legion Hall with burial to follow at Hillview Cemetery, all in Hinsdale.

She was born July 18, 1945, to Sam and Evelyn (Gisley) Koski in Glasgow, Mont. She attended high school in Hinsdale and graduated in 1963. After high school, she attended Beauty School in Great Falls and followed that profession for a number of years. On Dec. 24, 1969, she and her husband at the time, Don, welcomed their son Troy McKerrow.

In 1972, she started working for Buttery Food Stores in Great Falls, and worked there for close to 20 years. While working at Buttery Foods, she met and worked with numerous people who still call her friend. She later married Mel Wardell in 1973, and they raised Troy in Great Falls.

She was her son's number one fan as she followed his bowling, baseball and school sports careers. She was always proud of her son's accomplishments. She presented her son with a scrapbook of all of his years of achievements this last Christmas. She was one to keep memorabilia from all things important to her.

She chose to return to her hometown of Hinsdale to take care of her mother, who later passed away in 1991. She married Jon Blockhus in 1996, and they were married for 17 years.

While in Hinsdale, she was very active in the Lutheran Church, which her grandfather helped build. Her faith was very important to her. She was always involved in the schools and any community activities.

She constantly worked in her garden, focusing on her flowers and making her home beautiful. She loved watching the birds outside of her kitchen window and owned many birdhouses and fed them and kept them happy. She belonged to the American Legion Hall, and most recently was secretary for the local chapter. She belonged to many other local committees, providing lunches to groups, decorating veteran gravesites, supporting sports, etc.

During her years in Hinsdale, she also worked for Albertsons in Glasgow and after retirement continued to work cleaning friends' and clients' homes. She intended to "cut back" once she turned 70, but she was just not one to say no, so continued to keep busy.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Evelyn and Sam Koski; one brother, James Koski in California; two sisters, Janice McInerney in Helena, and Joyce, who passed away at a young age; uncle Gene in Tucson; and aunt Lucille in Indiana.

Survivors include one son, Troy Wardell, and his fiancé, Beth Glover, both of Lolo; one brother, Jerry Koski and his wife, Linda, of Glasgow; a brother-in-law, Bob McInerney of Helena; a sister-in-law, Michino, of California; and her cousin, Marlene Petro of Florida; special nephews Paul Koski and his wife, Lisa, of Glasgow, Jeff Koski and his wife, Colleen, of Bozeman, Tim McInerney and his wife, Michelle, of Boise, Glenn Koski and his wife, Karen, of California; and a niece, JuDee O'Donnell and her husband, Kent, of Billings; and many, many close friends.

Donations can be made in JuDee's honor to the Hinsdale Community Cooperation Fund, P.O. Box 127, Hinsdale, MT 59241, Attn: Linda. This fund is used to provide scholarships to local students.

Bell Funeral Home of Glasgow is in charge of arrangements.