Marion Audrey Gullings

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved mother, Marion Audrey Jenkins Gullings. The brightest, contagious smiling face came into the world on December 1, 1928, and returned to heaven on August 21, 2020. And we know she was still smiling. She was a bookkeeper by trade, working in the auto body and glass industry until retirement in her 70’s. She never really retired, however – you couldn’t get her spirit to sit still. Her passion was people and she found new work in volunteering as a Foster Grandma for the Great Falls school system for many years. There wasn’t a child anywhere that didn’t love and call her Gramma Marion. Marion always showed unconditional love and was called “Mom” by so many. She opened her home to countless people over the years. A troubled in-law, a troubled friend of her son, a troubled friend of a friend of a friend of her son, 5 foreign exchange students from around the world, minor league baseball players, and the list goes on…. Dad couldn’t tell her “no” to accepting another person into the house because he knew it was her life calling and he felt lucky to be a part of it. So many called her Mom. Mom loved to dance. She was still clogging in her 70’s with a group of friends who would put on shows for the ‘elderly’ (75 didn’t mean she was old). She told our dad when they started dating that if he didn’t learn to dance, she couldn’t marry him. So he learned to dance. Even when she was having trouble walking in the end, she could still hear the music, smile, and tap her feet. She had an infectious personality that drew you in. Never complaining, always smiling and finding something to laugh at - even if it was at herself. She was tough as nails with nearly super human inner strength. If she ever got mad, which was rare (don’t drink the milk that is meant for Thanksgiving dinner!), the anger was gone in a flash and she was back to smiling. She was fabulously unpredictable. Marion was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin and Gertrude; brother, Alvin “Bud;” and her husband, Dale. She is survived by her 5 children, Steve (Stephanie) Gullings, Cliff (Mert) Gullings, Marsha (Terry) Hamilton, Trish (Doug) Francis and Karla (Doug) Cozzie; 11 grandkids and their spouses, Mark Gullings, Kyle Gullings, Kristine Muko, Dale Gullings, Amy Gullings, Nick Steen-Gullings, Keane Hamilton, Lane Hamilton, Bailey Badgley, Brandon Day, Nick Day. She is also survived by 100’s of people that have called her family over the years. Marion, Mom, Mamma, Mamma-cita, Grandma Gullings is now dancing again with Dale, laughing and flashing the biggest smile ever. No services are planned at this time. The family will hold a private burial in the near future and have a celebration of life after Covid-19 is under control.