Georgia Catherine (Murphy) LeVeque

Georgia LeVeque, 96, has completed her wonderful journey through life.  This fantastic lady, born on July 1st, 1934, died on her late husband’s birthday, January 14, 2021.  The daughter of George and Celia Carr Murphy, Georgia spent the early years of her life on the small family ranch in a part log, part frame home in the rolling hills of the Hound Creek/Millegan area about fifty miles south of Great Falls, with no close neighbors, no plumbing, and no electricity.  She and her siblings, brother, Frank and sisters, Mary and Carol, roamed the hills around their home by horseback and fell in love with the spring wildflowers and wildlife.  Even the ever-present rattlesnakes could not keep them penned in. 

Georgia, the second oldest of the “ridge running outlaws” homeschooled for her first year, and shortly after that a small one room school was erected about one mile from their home, which she attended through the eighth grade.  “Dor-da” as she was called by her father, eventually spent her high school years in Great Falls, where she graduated in 1942, just after WWII broke out.  She had boyfriends aplenty but at about age 16 settled on her one true love, Ernest “Gene” LeVeque.  Shortly after graduation she moved to California where she went to work for the Lockheed Corp.  Future husband, Gene, joined the Army Air Corp and was teaching pilots how to fly when the couple wed in December of 1943 at Quartzite, Arizona. 

Near the end of the war Georgia returned to Great Falls and the first of her eight children, Ernie, was born in December 1945.  One girl, Karen, and six boys later, Georgia had the family she would oversee through life.  In 1965, following the death of her father, she and the family moved onto the family ranch then located on Flat Creek in the Casner Falls area, about 15 miles east of Cascade.  She resided on the ranch until her death.  Her husband, Gene, died in 2992, but she continued to be the matriarch of the family and the glue that held them together.  By that time four of her sons were also living on the ranch with their families.  At her death she had 8 children, 21 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great-grandchildren…all of whom loved and adored her. 

To say that she was an accomplished woman is to put it mildly.  She and her family camped in most of the campgrounds in the Pacific Northwest.  She mad numerous trips to Alaska, went on safaris in Africa, flew in helicopters in New Zealand, visited many of the sights in Europe and China, and traveled to uncounted destinations both in America and the rest of the world.  Late in life she became an accomplished artist, drawing pictures for friends and family on sawblades, feathers, leather, buffalo skulls and anything else that would hold paint.  She wrote her own autobiography in 2002 and was a voracious reader most of her life. 

Her family was first and foremost with her, and her annual Easter egg hunts, Christmas Eve get togethers, and poker parties will always be fondly remembered.  She loved being on her ranch where she raised llamas, peacocks, guinea fowl, along with cattle and sheep.  She loved to feed and watch birds in h er backyard, no coffee was too strong for her, and she played a mean game of cribbage. 

She described her offspring as a bunch of independent, self-reliant, go with the flow kids who had not a “lazy bone in the bunch”, with a “show me” spirit.  This wonderful woman was preceded in death by her husband, Gene; granddaughter, Chelle; brother, Frank and sister, Mary.  She is survived by all eight of her children, Ernie”Lee” (Renee), Karen (Tony) Tacke, Jerry (Diane), Dennis (Mona), David (Carla), Douglas (Ronnie), Don (Angie) and Dale (Lilly).  Also surviving is a sister, Carol and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren almost too numerous to count.  This beautiful pioneer woman will always be remembered and loved by all of those of us who knew her.  Rest in peace sweet lady. 

At her request no formal services are planned, but a celebration of her life will be attended by family, friends and other loved ones at a future date.

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