Maybelle Ames Bockemuehl died Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018 of natural causes at St. Patrick Hospital.
She was born on June 25, 1918 in Sam, Washington, the eldest child of Walter J. and Elfrieda Strecker Ames.
She attended grade school in Northport, Washington; high school at Holy Names Academy in Spokane, Washington and earned her license to practice nursing at Sacred Heart School of Nursing, in 1939, also in Spokane.
On November 9, 1940 she married Harold W. "Bock" Bockemuehl. Bock enlisted in the military in 1942, a decision which ensured that Maybelle's life style would never be ordinary. Each of the twenty nine times (yes, twenty nine times!) her husband was reassigned from one base to another she packed up her family and all of their belongings to be with him—from Air Force bases in the United States , to Okinawa, to Germany, to France, back to Vandenberg Air Force in the United States, where he retired from the Air Force in 1966; then to Bellingham, Washington to attend Western Washington State University, to Palmerston North in New Zealand where he earned a Ph.D., and finally the last move, to Missoula, Montana, in 1971, where she spent the remaining years of her life.
During the early years of her marriage-their four children were-born; she continued her nursing career part time and was a full time homemaker; and for fun she spent many years gardening, bowling and golfing (she has won many trophies in each of the two sports). In 1974 she enrolled in the Fine Arts Program offered by the University of Montana at Missoula and in 1977 was awarded a BFA with high honors.
In 1997 the Bockemuehls sold their home in Missoula and moved to Grizzly Peak Retirement Residence, also in Missoula. Her last years were spent caring for her husband whose health had failed. The remaining hours of each day were spent making quilts, reading, painting in watercolor, and maybe just sitting out on the balcony enjoying the sunsets.
She is survived by their two daughters—Barbara of Missoula, Karen in Bozman, MT and their son Will and daughter-in-law Diane in Deer Park, Washington, as well as four grandchildren and three great grandchildren; her sister, Rose Marie Phillips, and brother Clarence.
In lieu of flowers Maybelle suggests donations be made to the Bockemuehl Scholarship Fund at the University of Montana Foundation.
Arrangements are under the care of Garden City Funeral Home.

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