Mary Traynor, age 83 of East Helena

On the morning of March 25, 2024 at 5:02 a.m., Mary passed away peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena, MT after a lengthy illness. She was surrounded by family at the time of her passing. She was 83 years old.

Mary was born at the family home in Mystic, Iowa on March 6, 1941 to her father, John Sickich, and her mother, Hazel Porter. She was the sixth of seven children from the marriage of John and Hazel. She was the eighth child of nine total children of Hazel, whom had two children from a previous relationship. Mary’s mother passed away when she was four years old, and her father passed away when she was 13. She was very close to her siblings throughout her life.

She attended school in Mystic and graduated from Mystic High School in 1959. She played on the Mystic Tigerette Basketball Squad in high school and her team won the ADAC Tournament her senior year. She made many lifetime friendships during this time in her life. She participated in several clubs and was a class reporter, student librarian, a member of the newspaper staff, and she acted in the class play her senior year. She was in the high school spelling bee all four years and that started lifetime hobbies of doing crossword puzzles and playing scrabble and other games with family and friends.

She attended Centerville Junior College in Centerville, Iowa after high school from 1959-1960. She moved to Rock Island, IL to work for a year following college and then moved to join her brothers Joe, Steve and Marion in Helena, Montana. She met her future husband Raymond Traynor in 1961. They were married on February 17, 1962 at St. Mary’s Church in Helena. They welcomed their first daughter Terry in December 1962, followed by Robin in 1964, Schelley in 1966, and Jennifer 1971.

Between 1961 and 1973, the family lived in Helena, Sidney, and Bozeman, Montana; Spokane, and Sumner, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Elgin, and Spring Valley, Illinois, before moving back to Helena in 1973. In 1976, Mary bought her home on Riggs Street in East Helena. This is the home she lived in until her passing. She was a driving force for getting the residential streets in East Helena paved including her own street as well as achieving many other major civic accomplishments over the years.

Mary worked as an Administrator for the State of Montana for various agencies including the Office of Public Instruction and for the Rocky Mountain Development Council. She worked a second job as a beloved bartender at the Claim Jumper and Casino Jacks. She enjoyed her careers very much and was well respected by her peers and supervisors. She volunteered for the East Helena Public Schools as a teachers aide for the foster grandparent program for many years and loved making a difference in all the young kids’ lives. All the kids lovingly called her Grandma T and would become overjoyed whenever they saw her around town.

Mary was a devout Catholic and was active in her church congregation in East Helena. She loved gardening, picking strawberries with her grandchildren. She loved to travel to visit loved ones, sewing clothing and costumes for her kids and grandkids, spending time with her family, and cooking large family meals. She participated in the Helena Drill Team in the late 1970’s and 80’s. On May 14, 2021, Mary and Ray remarried in front of their family at a ceremony in Helena.

Mary was preceded in death by her mother Hazel and her father John, her mother-in-law Doris Traynor and father-in-law Joseph Traynor, her sisters Marjorie Jones, Wilma Snyder, and Bea Millhouse; her brothers John Fields, Joe Sickich, Steve Sickich, Marion Sickich, Andy Sickich brother in-laws Al Snyder and Jimmy Traynor, sister-in-laws Kay Sickich, Punkie Nyland, Betty Sickich, and Kitty Sickich.

She is survived by her husband Ray Traynor; sister-in-laws Vera Sickich, Aggie (Punk) Hamilton, and Darlene Butler; daughters Terry Traynor, Robin (Rick) Baker, Schelley (Ray) Zuelke, Jennifer (Kate) Traynor; stepson Adam (Dawn) Traynor; eight-grandchildren Christopher Baker, Doreen (RJ) Bomar, Bryn Bomar, Josh (Miranda) Zuelke, Megan (Shawn) Eger, Foster Traynor, Lily Traynor and Luke Traynor; eight great-grandchildren Tyla Baker, Sidnee Baker, Finn Esselstrom, Jude Zuelke, Eli Nolan, Mason Zuelke, Harper Renn, and Zoie Zuelke; one great-great-granddaughter Aylyne Baker; and many other dear family members.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the medical professionals in the St. Peter’s Hospital ICU, Dr. Katrina Maher, Dr. Krainacker, St. Peter’s Palliative Care, Cindy Roscoe, Father Christopher, Bruce Norum and staff from St. Cyril and Methodius Church, and so many others who helped provide care and support for Mary in her later years.

A memorial service celebrating Mary’s life will be held at noon at St. Cyril and Methodius Church at 120 W. Riggs St in East Helena on Wednesday, April 3^rd. A reception will follow directly after the memorial service at the church. Gravesite services will follow the reception at the Montana State Veterans Ceremony at Fort Harrison.

Flowers may be sent to Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home in Helena. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Mary may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Lung Association. Condolences may be made to the family online at aswfuneralhome.com or to PO Box 279, East Helena, MT 59635.

Service Schedule

Memorial Service

12:00 p.m.

Wednesday April 3, 2024

Ss Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

120 W. Riggs Street

East Helena, Montana 59635

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Reception

Following the Service

Wednesday April 3, 2024

Ss Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church

120 W. Riggs Street

East Helena, Montana 59635

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Graveside Service

Following the Reception

Wednesday April 3, 2024

Montana State Veterans Cemetery

Fort Harrison, Montana 59636

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