Marie "Minga" Granbois

Marie “Minga” Granbois passed quietly into the spirit world early on the morning of June 30, 2025, under the watchful eye of her daughter, Karen. Marie was the third of five children born to Andrew and Delia (Jeanotte) LaRoque at the family farm near Bainville, MT, on August 5, 1926. She loved learning and had a curious mind. At the age of 13, she was sent to the Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, SD, where she graduated in 1944. Upon graduation she went to work as a Nurse’s Aide in Williston, ND, which stirred her desire to become a nurse, a passion she carried her entire life. She met her future husband, Dave, in 1946 after his time in the Navy. She and Dave relocated to Portland, OR where they married in June of 1947. They began their life together on a small farm in eastern Montana near her parents. Dave later bought a dump truck and made a living as a road builder. As their family grew, they hauled their trailer house to every little town in eastern Montana and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Finally settling in Great Falls, she was relieved to find a home that didn’t have wheels under it.

Upon Dave’s passing in 2007, she relocated to Brookings, SD, where she made many new friends and shared a thousand laughs with her bestie, Grace Moe. After 10 years in Brookings, she moved back to Montana, finally settling in the Geraldine/Ft Benton area, where she resided until her life was complete.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David Granbois; her parents, Andrew and Delia LaRoque; and an infant son, Gary. Survivors include Calvin and Anita Granbois; their children, Jeffrey and Sunny Granbois of Lynnwood, WA, their children Ella, Calvin, and John; Andy and Traci Granbois of Mercer Island, WA, their children Colette, Hudson and Georgia; Bill and Karen Spevacek of Geraldine MT; their children Brandon and Lisa of Wheaton, KS and their children William, Marie, and Donn; Lynsey and Dustin Utley of Belgrade, MT, their son, Andrew and a child to be born later this year; Bruce and Karen Granbois of Spokane, WA. Darrell and Connie Granbois of Spearfish, SD; their children, Casey Granbois of Portland, OR; Rae and Blaine O’Leary of Timber Lake SD, their children, Claire, Emmett, Ada and Tessa.

Her presence will remain with us all.

Services for Marie will be held at 2:00 p.m. on July 18, 2025, at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel in Great Falls.