At Christmas, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). At Christmas, on December 23, 2021, at the age of 84, Gaylene Salonen, our dearly loved mother, wife, “Grammie,” and friend went home to be with Jesus.
Gaylene Joyce Tracer was born on July 26, 1937, in Butte, Montana to Melvin and Madeline Tracer. She attended Monroe Grade School for grades K-8 and graduated from Butte High School in 1955. After high school, Gaylene worked for Texaco for two years. She started in the mailroom, but quickly advanced to become the secretary for the leadership team of six men at the company.
Gaylene met Bill Salonen in late 1956. They dated for only 6 months, with much of that time being long distance due to Bill being in basic military training at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bill and Gaylene were married on June 16, 1957, at Mountain View Methodist Church in Butte and spent a couple of days in Yellowstone National Park for their honeymoon. A week after the wedding, Bill & Gaylene moved to Washington DC. while Bill served for 2 years in the missile field.
In 1960, Bill & Gaylene moved from Washington DC to Glasgow, Montana; they lived there 5 years before moving to Great Falls in 1965. By this time, Bill and Gaylene had 3 boys and Gaylene was in full-time mom mode. Always a stay-at-home mom, Gaylene was very devoted to her husband and sons, encouraging them in everything they were involved with.
Along with caring for her family, Gaylene was involved with the PTA at Lincoln Elementary School for 13 years. Her main responsibility was working with the annual school carnival. She was also a member of the Great Falls chapter of the American Diabetes Association: her main duty was diabetes education and organizing their annual bike-a-thon fundraiser.
Beginning in 1967, Gaylene became very active in Christ United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday School and was involved in UMW (United Methodist Woman) at the church. Through the decades, her love for the church and its people grew.
In terms of hobbies, Gaylene played Bridge for over 45 years in various leagues. She and Bill often camped in the Augusta area and later bought a cabin in Mortimer Gulch near Gibson Reservoir, which they had for 32 years.
Gaylene is survived by her husband, Bill, her three sons, Bill (Sue), Great Falls; Brian (Jo May), Missoula; and Brad (Kris), Kalispell; 6 wonderful grandchildren: Andrew (Mimi), Ryan, Kennedy, Wes, Taylor, and Will; and 2 darling great grandchildren, Abel and Adriana. Gaylene was an only child, so her cousin and “sister” Rhea (Roger) Johnson, Seeley Lake, always held a special place in her heart. Gaylene was preceded in death by her parents Melvin and Madeline Tracer and brother-in-law, Wesley Salonen.
A memorial service and celebration of Gaylene’s life will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Thursday, December 30, 2021, at 3:00 pm. Croxford Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Memorials may be made out to the Great Falls Rescue Mission or Benefis Peace Hospice.
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