Our beloved Mom and Grandma, Ethel Mae (Salois) McKnight, passed away Monday, March 13, 2023, in Great Falls. She was 87. Cremation has taken place under the care of O'Connor Funeral Home. Graveside services and a burial of ashes will take place at Mount Olivet Cemetery on a later date.
Ethel was born on the family ranch in Gilman, MT, on May 1, 1935, to Eleanor "Nellie" (Wearley) and Camil Salois. She was delivered by her own grandmother, Elizabeth (Sayers) Wearley and was one of eight children. After her father's death, the family moved to Great Falls where she attended classes at the Ursuline Academy and Great Falls Central Catholic High. Ethel often spoke highly of her teachers, nuns in full habits playing baseball with the students and even teaching her how to throw a punch. Despite not completing high school at the time, Ethel proudly obtained her GED in 1994 when she was 59 years young.
While working as a waitress at the Club Cigar, she met a young man from Boston, MA who moved from table to table just to be in her section. Ethel and Gary B. McKnight were married on Friday, April 24, 1953, and would celebrate almost 49 years together. They welcomed and raised three daughters, Lenora, Lorelei, and Deborah. She took great pleasure in being a Gramma to five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and recently became a great-great-grandma.
Ethel was an enrolled member of the Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe and volunteered countless hours of her time in the enrollment office doing research to correctly enroll other members, and to achieve state and federal recognition for the tribe.
Ethel enjoyed being outside in her yard and flowerbeds. Bird watching was a favorite pastime from the back porch and eventually, grew into squirrel spotting as well. She loved reading, going rummaging, watching Ancient Aliens, westerns, and military movies. She took up ceramics alongside her sister, Jean, creating Christmas trees and houses which are now treasured family heirlooms. Her most favorite thing was always the time she spent with her family camping in Lincoln, MT, at holiday gatherings, BBQ's, birthdays, and reunions.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; daughter, Deborah McKnight; and granddaughter, Kimberly Ort.
She is survived by and deeply missed by daughters, Lenora (John) Johnson and Lori (David Remy) Scales; brother, Roger (Linda) Salois of Great Falls; grandchildren, Jeffery (Lacy) Kline of IN, Shawna (McKnight) Maestas of UT, Scott (Dani Clark) Ort of MT, and Marcus (Karyn) Kline of CO; great-grandchildren, Jadessa Maisel, Isaac (Sarah) Maisel, Avery and Anders Kline, Ryley Maestas, Damian and Maycee Ort, Shayden Kline, and Ethan Glissendorf; and great-great-grandson, Everest.
Published by O'Connor Funeral Home, Great Falls, MT on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Ethel was born on the family ranch in Gilman, MT, on May 1, 1935, to Eleanor "Nellie" (Wearley) and Camil Salois. She was delivered by her own grandmother, Elizabeth (Sayers) Wearley and was one of eight children. After her father's death, the family moved to Great Falls where she attended classes at the Ursuline Academy and Great Falls Central Catholic High. Ethel often spoke highly of her teachers, nuns in full habits playing baseball with the students and even teaching her how to throw a punch. Despite not completing high school at the time, Ethel proudly obtained her GED in 1994 when she was 59 years young.
While working as a waitress at the Club Cigar, she met a young man from Boston, MA who moved from table to table just to be in her section. Ethel and Gary B. McKnight were married on Friday, April 24, 1953, and would celebrate almost 49 years together. They welcomed and raised three daughters, Lenora, Lorelei, and Deborah. She took great pleasure in being a Gramma to five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and recently became a great-great-grandma.
Ethel was an enrolled member of the Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe and volunteered countless hours of her time in the enrollment office doing research to correctly enroll other members, and to achieve state and federal recognition for the tribe.
Ethel enjoyed being outside in her yard and flowerbeds. Bird watching was a favorite pastime from the back porch and eventually, grew into squirrel spotting as well. She loved reading, going rummaging, watching Ancient Aliens, westerns, and military movies. She took up ceramics alongside her sister, Jean, creating Christmas trees and houses which are now treasured family heirlooms. Her most favorite thing was always the time she spent with her family camping in Lincoln, MT, at holiday gatherings, BBQ's, birthdays, and reunions.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; daughter, Deborah McKnight; and granddaughter, Kimberly Ort.
She is survived by and deeply missed by daughters, Lenora (John) Johnson and Lori (David Remy) Scales; brother, Roger (Linda) Salois of Great Falls; grandchildren, Jeffery (Lacy) Kline of IN, Shawna (McKnight) Maestas of UT, Scott (Dani Clark) Ort of MT, and Marcus (Karyn) Kline of CO; great-grandchildren, Jadessa Maisel, Isaac (Sarah) Maisel, Avery and Anders Kline, Ryley Maestas, Damian and Maycee Ort, Shayden Kline, and Ethan Glissendorf; and great-great-grandson, Everest.
Published by O'Connor Funeral Home, Great Falls, MT on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Our beloved Mom and Grandma, Ethel Mae (Salois) McKnight, passed away Monday, March 13, 2023, in Great Falls. She was 87. Cremation has taken place under the care of O'Connor Funeral Home. Graveside services and a burial of ashes will take place at Mount Olivet Cemetery on a later date.
Ethel was born on the family ranch in Gilman, MT, on May 1, 1935, to Eleanor "Nellie" (Wearley) and Camil Salois. She was delivered by her own grandmother, Elizabeth (Sayers) Wearley and was one of eight children. After her father's death, the family moved to Great Falls where she attended classes at the Ursuline Academy and Great Falls Central Catholic High. Ethel often spoke highly of her teachers, nuns in full habits playing baseball with the students and even teaching her how to throw a punch. Despite not completing high school at the time, Ethel proudly obtained her GED in 1994 when she was 59 years young.
While working as a waitress at the Club Cigar, she met a young man from Boston, MA who moved from table to table just to be in her section. Ethel and Gary B. McKnight were married on Friday, April 24, 1953, and would celebrate almost 49 years together. They welcomed and raised three daughters, Lenora, Lorelei, and Deborah. She took great pleasure in being a Gramma to five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and recently became a great-great-grandma.
Ethel was an enrolled member of the Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe and volunteered countless hours of her time in the enrollment office doing research to correctly enroll other members, and to achieve state and federal recognition for the tribe.
Ethel enjoyed being outside in her yard and flowerbeds. Bird watching was a favorite pastime from the back porch and eventually, grew into squirrel spotting as well. She loved reading, going rummaging, watching Ancient Aliens, westerns, and military movies. She took up ceramics alongside her sister, Jean, creating Christmas trees and houses which are now treasured family heirlooms. Her most favorite thing was always the time she spent with her family camping in Lincoln, MT, at holiday gatherings, BBQ's, birthdays, and reunions.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; daughter, Deborah McKnight; and granddaughter, Kimberly Ort.
She is survived by and deeply missed by daughters, Lenora (John) Johnson and Lori (David Remy) Scales; brother, Roger (Linda) Salois of Great Falls; grandchildren, Jeffery (Lacy) Kline of IN, Shawna (McKnight) Maestas of UT, Scott (Dani Clark) Ort of MT, and Marcus (Karyn) Kline of CO; great-grandchildren, Jadessa Maisel, Isaac (Sarah) Maisel, Avery and Anders Kline, Ryley Maestas, Damian and Maycee Ort, Shayden Kline, and Ethan Glissendorf; and great-great-grandson, Everest.
Published by O'Connor Funeral Home, Great Falls, MT on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Ethel was born on the family ranch in Gilman, MT, on May 1, 1935, to Eleanor "Nellie" (Wearley) and Camil Salois. She was delivered by her own grandmother, Elizabeth (Sayers) Wearley and was one of eight children. After her father's death, the family moved to Great Falls where she attended classes at the Ursuline Academy and Great Falls Central Catholic High. Ethel often spoke highly of her teachers, nuns in full habits playing baseball with the students and even teaching her how to throw a punch. Despite not completing high school at the time, Ethel proudly obtained her GED in 1994 when she was 59 years young.
While working as a waitress at the Club Cigar, she met a young man from Boston, MA who moved from table to table just to be in her section. Ethel and Gary B. McKnight were married on Friday, April 24, 1953, and would celebrate almost 49 years together. They welcomed and raised three daughters, Lenora, Lorelei, and Deborah. She took great pleasure in being a Gramma to five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and recently became a great-great-grandma.
Ethel was an enrolled member of the Montana Little Shell Chippewa Tribe and volunteered countless hours of her time in the enrollment office doing research to correctly enroll other members, and to achieve state and federal recognition for the tribe.
Ethel enjoyed being outside in her yard and flowerbeds. Bird watching was a favorite pastime from the back porch and eventually, grew into squirrel spotting as well. She loved reading, going rummaging, watching Ancient Aliens, westerns, and military movies. She took up ceramics alongside her sister, Jean, creating Christmas trees and houses which are now treasured family heirlooms. Her most favorite thing was always the time she spent with her family camping in Lincoln, MT, at holiday gatherings, BBQ's, birthdays, and reunions.
Ethel was preceded in death by her husband, Gary; daughter, Deborah McKnight; and granddaughter, Kimberly Ort.
She is survived by and deeply missed by daughters, Lenora (John) Johnson and Lori (David Remy) Scales; brother, Roger (Linda) Salois of Great Falls; grandchildren, Jeffery (Lacy) Kline of IN, Shawna (McKnight) Maestas of UT, Scott (Dani Clark) Ort of MT, and Marcus (Karyn) Kline of CO; great-grandchildren, Jadessa Maisel, Isaac (Sarah) Maisel, Avery and Anders Kline, Ryley Maestas, Damian and Maycee Ort, Shayden Kline, and Ethan Glissendorf; and great-great-grandson, Everest.
Published by O'Connor Funeral Home, Great Falls, MT on Tuesday, March 21, 2023
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