Minnie Mae Michalson

A valiant heart and free spirit has moved on to her next adventure. Minnie Mae Schaeffer Michalson passed on from this world at home, on Monday, June 13th at 6:13 p.m., surrounded by family and friends, after fighting the good fight against lung cancer.

Minnie Mae, or Min (NEVER Minnie!) was born to George and Estella (Lockey) Schaeffer on October 31, 1918, her parent’s 7th Wedding anniversary. Due to a flu epidemic at the time, Helena had a small maternity hospital set apart from the main hospital to shield the new mothers and their babies, and Min was born there. Her father was home at the time, suffering from that same flu.

Minnie Mae attended Central Elementary School, then Helena High School class of 1936, where she was a part of the High School on Wheels due to the 1935 earthquake. She then attended Montana State College in Bozeman, where she was chosen “Spur of the Moment” during her freshman year, and joined Chi Omega Sorority. After her sister Florence’s marriage and move to Kentucky, Min joined her in Bowling Green where she enrolled in Western Kentucky State University and was a drum majorette.

She met her first husband, Grant Erickson when he was in Helena as part of the First Special Service Forces stationed at Fort Harrison. She followed Grant to Vermont and they were married in 1943. They had two sons, Eric George and Stephen Grant. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where Min attended and graduated from the University of Utah. Min and Grant then moved to Henderson, NV where they operated an O P Skaggs grocery store, and later they returned to Helena to live. Grant died in a parachuting accident while training for the Vietnam War at Fort Leavenworth, KS.

Minnie Mae met the love of her life and true soul mate, Leroy “Mike” Michalson through mutual friends and they were married in Las Vegas in 1967. He was her constant companion through her sickness and the wonderful adventures they shared together. They had a daughter, Florence Lee. Minnie Mae and Mike were in the Landlord Business in the 70s and 80s and owned several different apartment buildings, in which most of Helena rented from them at that time.

Min always lived her life to the fullest. She enjoyed travel, friends and family, and held honesty and loyalty in the highest regard. She was known for her charismatic and charming personality and lighting up the room with her wonderful smile. Even as a young girl, she and her friends explored Montana’s parks and open spaces, often under less-than-ideal conditions. Pictures of her as a young girl show her perched precariously on rocky overlooks in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Her mother was known to say, “Very soon I will be in Forestvale (cemetery)!” She fulfilled her love of adventure through travel, obtaining a pilot’s license and learning how to parachute. With her fellow vagabond, husband Mike, she traveled the far corners of the globe; Mexico, South America, Canada, Holland, Russia, Spain, Egypt, the Orient, (and many others!) and on their last trip, Africa. She eagerly anticipated their annual trips to Chautauqua to visit with her sister, Florence Cole and her family. One of Minnie Mae’s favorite places was York, where many summers were spent camping and mowing the yard with a Dixon Rider. She loved to play bridge, bowl and go snowmobiling. Min and Mike were active members of the Friendship Force and loved traveling throughout the country in their motor home.

Min always lived a life of activity and service. She was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Montana, where she had been Moderator of the Board of Deacons and member of the Mary Martha and Ruth Circles.

She enjoyed being active in Masonic organizations, from the time she was a Rainbow Girl in high school through Eastern Star and being Queen of the Sapphira Temple #79, Daughters of the Nile in 1976, and the Nile Patrol.

She was also president of PEO Chapter AA in 1973-74 and again in 1978-79. She was also a member of the Last Chance Gulch Restoration Society (the Pioneer Cabin), the Muscular Dystrophy Association of America, the Westerner’s International History Group, and had been a board member of the YMCA. She ran for the Helena City Commission in 1971 with a strong platform against Urban Renewal.

Min is survived by her husband, Leroy; son, Eric (Trudy) Erickson; daughter, Florence (Josh) Liston; grandchildren, Aimee Wrzesinski, Lesley Ward, Jacob and Seth Liston; and great-grandchildren, Jozef (Houle) and Troy Wrzesinski and Kolter and Kaitlyn Ward.

Minnie Mae was preceded in death by her parents, George and Estella; first husband, Grant in 1962; son, Stephen in 1974; and brother-in-law, Basil Cole in 1987.

Minnie Mae would like donations in her name to be made to these following charities: The First Baptist Church of Montana, 201 8th Avenue, Helena; Shriner’s Hospital for Children c/o Algeria Center, P.O. Box 1174, Helena; The Montana Military Museum, 419 Hayes Ave., Helena; or the Cancer Treatment Center c/o St. Peter’s Hospital, 2475 E. Broadway, Helena. The family will receive friends between 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday, June 19th at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held 4:00 p.m. Monday, June 20th at First Baptist Church with a reception to be held at the Algeria Shrine Center immediately following that memorial service. A graveside service will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 21st at Forestvale Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.aswfuneralhome.com.

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