Bonita Mae Gebhardt

Bonita Mae Gebhardt (Allison) received her angel wings January 24, 2023 in her home on “The Farm” in Helena, MT. She was 76 years old. She fought hard against the relentless Alzheimer’s Disease to earn those wings. Bless her heart.

Bonita was born in Fort Benton, Montana on July 20, 1946. She was the baby of the family with 3 older brothers born to Jesse and Mildred Allison. Being the baby and the only girl, she and her mother shared a special bond that is still unbroken.

Bonita moved to Billings, MT after high school where she met her husband, Delvin Gebhardt. After a short courtship, they got married “the second they had to” on August 2, 1969. That fateful night when he asked her to dance turned into 53 years of caring, commitment, and love.

She was so very grateful for the love and dedication from “Mister” to make each of her last years count. Their son, Kelvin (Roberta), was born November 5, 1970 and their daughter, Angela (Craig Yonce), on June 28, 1974. She poured herself into her role as wife and mom attending to every detail and always adding a little something extra to make others feel loved.

Bonita worked for the Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service office for most of her career with a short stint in the middle at the Billings Police Department during a government layoff. She absolutely loved sparring with the farmers and could dish out the BS with the best of them. She took pride in being a bright spot for “her farmers” even when things weren’t going their way. Truthfully, Bonita enjoyed the banter with anyone who would participate (family, friends, strangers) and was quick to tell people to get their boots or shovels because “it was going to get deep.” She embraced being an “out-law” to Delvin’s family and all the razzing that went with it. She retired in 2002 after 35 years of service and waited patiently for Delvin to retire in 2003 when they moved to “The Farm” in Helena to be near their first grandbaby.

Her heart overflowed when she became Oomma when McKoy was born to Kelvin and Roberta in 2002. McKoy always held a special place in her heart and she felt so blessed to be such a big part of his early years. Angela and Craig brought her 3 more grandkids: Dugan (2006), Greta (2008), and Marla (2013) which filled her already overflowing heart. She always had something up her sleeve to make their visits fun.

You couldn’t step foot into Oomma’s home without getting an immediate glimpse into what was important to her. Every wall, nook, and cranny proudly displayed pictures of her family and friends and mementos from her grandkids. She was a collector and couldn’t resist a bargain.

She loved shopping and if it was on sale, she bought it. She put her skill to good use finding gifts for the Reindeer Express Christmas store at McKoy’s school where she volunteered listening to the kids read. Her love for hearts, pansies (her mom’s favorite flower), angels, cows, and john deere was evident throughout her home. And if you turned on a good ol’ Elvis tune, she’d be the first to stand up and boogie while singing along with an entertaining imitation of the King.

Oomma’s favorite place in the world was Shonkin where she made a lifetime of memories fishing, picnicking, and camping with family and friends. From Sunday afternoon trips to eat fried chicken when she was a kid to setting up the playpen for her babies to hang out under the big cottonwood tree to watching her grandkids experience her most treasured place, she would tell you it was the BEST. When the sun went down there and the stars started to shine, she would look up and show you which ones were her mom and dad looking over her. Her star will sure shine bright! Oomma with her fun-loving, onery, caregiving, stubborn, hardworking, and fiercely loving personality will most certainly be missed.

For those so inclined, her family invites you to donate to a charity of your choice, St. Peter’s Health Hospice of Helena, or the Alzheimer’s Association in her honor. Details on a future memorial service will be shared when available.

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