Stella M. Plachetka

Stella M. Plachetka, our beloved sister, cousin, mother and grammy passed away on March 5, 2026, at 81 years. Stella was born October 9, 1944, in Great Falls, Montana, to Alex and Weltha (Boggs) Muir. The third of six children, she grew up in Augusta and was awarded her senior year with the Crisco Award for Outstanding Student in Home Economics. After graduating high school, she married Les Wedum, and settled in Choteau, welcoming daughter Wendy two years later. Several years later they parted ways.

Stella met Francis “Frank” Plachetka, who loved Stella and Wendy deeply. They eloped in 1972, beginning a life filled with hard work, family, and many adventures. Stella’s career was diverse, including bookkeeper, deputy Clerk and Recorder, and was elected as Teton County Clerk and Recorder before finishing her professional life in retail sales and hospitality. She completed a business management bachelor’s degree the day after her grandson Logan was born.

Stella and Frank were devoted grandparents, active community members, and generous hosts who welcomed friends, neighbors, and foreign exchange students into their lives. Stella cherished summers she spent caring for Logan in Great Falls and Choteau. Their shared adventures formed a deep bond full of joy and memorable mischief. Stella’s favorite moments included volunteering as a classroom reading buddy and traveling with Frank to the Caribbean and Germany, but her favorite was time with family and friends. She was kind, vibrant, and the definition of a “people person,” making everyone feel like family, from strangers in an airport to newcomers in the community.

Stella was talented with ceramics, Norwegian rosemaling, tole painting, needlework, sewing and quilting with the Choteau Quilt Group. As Frank was an Undersheriff, making quilts for "the cops" to give to children was a favorite activity. She was an avid reader, made the best homemade lemon meringue pie and shared the joy of cooking with Frank, frequently trying new recipes on family and friends. The Fourth of July was a treasured tradition, with family gathering at their home for the Choteau parade and rodeo. Besides amazing hospitality, everyone enjoyed being outdoors surrounded by many beautiful pots full of geraniums and other flowers.

In her final years, dementia diminished her abilities and memories, and the compassionate nursing staff at the Choteau BeeHive and at Logan Health Care Center in Conrad became part of her extended family.

Stella was preceded in death by her husband Frank; brother, Donald; parents, Alex and Weltha; and in-laws, Netelia Muir, Jan Plachetka, Freida Muir and Edward Plachetka. She is survived by her daughter, Wendy Wedum; grandson, Logan Wedum; sisters, Jean Muir, Margaret Lockovitch, and Kathy (James) Stone; brother, Gordon Muir; brother-in-law, Paul; sisters-in-law, Helen (Ed) Miller and Carol Plachetka; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and their families.

Memorial service at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Choteau Methodist Church. Memorials are suggested to the Teton County Food Pantry, the Montana 4‑H Foundation, or a charity of your choice.