Erma Stinson, 95, passed away holding the hand of Jesus, and graduated to her heavenly home to the welcoming cheers of angels on the morning of August 23. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2014 at 1:30pm, at First Baptist Church located at 525 2nd Ave No.

Erma was born at home to Jane and Blanch (Ish) Nellis, in Spring Coulee east of Augusta, Montana. She attended several rural schools, graduating from Fort Shaw High School in May 1939. She married Willard Stinson in 1940 at First Baptist Church of Great Falls. She was a long time member of First Baptist Church and recently attended the church’s 125th Anniversary as the longest and oldest member there. She was active in the Scandinavian Fraternity of America, leader of youth groups, Campfire Girls, Sun River Historical Society and Great Falls Genealogy Society & History Museum. Erma loved to dance, play cards and play scrabble. For 27 years she worked at the Great Falls Schools as a cook, also cooking many meals at church and for others. She took many prizes on her divinity, angel food cakes and lemon pies. Erma traveled many miles doing genealogy research on her family history, even traveling abroad.

She is survived by her daughter, Janice (Roger) Volkmar of Great Falls; her son, William (Pam) Stinson of Bellingham, WA; grandchildren Shirley Johnson, Gary Walker, Patrick Volkmar, all of Great Falls and Paul Volkmar of Billings, MT. She also left behind nine great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren, not to mention many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death are her parents; husband, Willard; daughter, Nancy; sisters Helen De Pratu, Dorothy Toeckes; half-sister, Myrtle Rhodes and half-brother, Winfred Nellis.

Erma’s family requests that memorials be sent to First Baptist Church.

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