Geraldine Anne Crusch

Geraldine Anne Crusch, age 94, passed away January 24, 2023, at Mountain View Care Center in Ronan, MT. She was born July 31, 1928, to Barney and Florence (Ingalls) Egosque on the hottest day of the summer behind a sagebrush on the 12 mile stretch of highway between Nashua and Glasgow, MT. She was the only girl in a nursery full of boys. She was the queen for a day. The Glasgow paper even wrote a story about her. She was famous from the start!

Gerry had to sleep with her grandma Ingalls to keep her warm when she came home from the hospital. The wind would blow so much, and snow would make drifts in the little cabin. Grandma Ingalls would go to mass every day and Gerry would go with her. Her Catholic faith was very important to her.      

Gerry married Cecil Crusch on June 5, 1945. Cecil ranched in Bainville. They had no electricity. The milk was kept in the root cellar. Gerry would have to get up during the night and go down a ladder to get it. One time she stepped on a large toad, and it squished between her toes. She often told her girls that they didn’t know how good they had it. Another day she had to sweep a rattlesnake out the door with a broom.

Gerry could grow anything, a garden, flowers, and was an excellent cook. Gerry loved to walk. She walked so much she could have been in the Olympics. Gerry was a loyal friend to everyone.  She would visit a different friend every day. Gerry was her daughter’s hero! She loved them unconditionally and was a great comfort to them. She always had good advice.

Gerry was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, grandchildren Justin Ebel and James Bailey, and four brothers and one sister.

She is survived by her daughters, Garnet Stuerke and Beverly Bailey (James) both of Polson, five grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and numerous other relatives.

Gerry was loved so much, and her family will miss her forever!