Obituary - Tracy Lee (Golie) Wendland

Tracy Lee (Golie) Wendland, age 55, a proud wife, mother and grandmother who loved her life, passed unexpectedly and went to be with our Lord on Monday, Dec. 28, 2015.

Tracy was born Nov. 25, 1960 in Havre, Montana. Her parents were Bernard and Donna (Gallus) Golie, and she was the second of eight children in the Golie family. Tracy grew up in Havre and received her elementary education at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School. Following her graduation from Havre High School in 1979, she attended LaNae's College of Beauty in Havre. During her time in beauty school, Tracy enjoyed working at Nalivka's Pizza Kitchen.

She married the love of her life, Gregory Wendland, on Aug. 11, 1981, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Their marriage was later blessed on Jan. 5, 1985, at St Jude Thaddeus Church in Havre. After starting their family, the Wendlands moved around Montana and lived shortly in Washington before settling in Rudyard on the family farm east of town. Together, the couple enjoyed rebuilding the house that became their home, where they would raise three children who enriched their lives: Kirsten ("Kirky"), Heather Jo and Darius.

Tracy eventually opened her own beauty shop in Rudyard called "Tracy's Place." Her loyal clientele from up-and-down the Hi-Line, whom Tracy affectionately referred to as her "ladies," were very important to her, she looked forward to visiting with them. Tracy always found time to be helpful to others and to spend quality time with friends. Even with her own busy life, she made a point of attending community events and was an active member of the Holy Family Altar Society and the Rudyard Commercial Club. Tracy was also a loyal supporter and sponsor of the Annual Rudyard Softball Tournament.

Tracy enjoyed many hobbies. She was an avid reader (of anything and everything) and liked to peruse Pinterest on her Kindle. She also enjoyed home improvement projects; she used bright-colored paints to compliment her personality. She loved tending to her cows, chickens, cats and numerous farm dogs at her home. Just for the fun of it, she collected Christmas tree ornaments and a few antiques.

Tracy loved music and was a longtime fan of Elvis Presley. In addition she enjoyed cooking and baking, and her family will never forget her delicious angel food spice cakes. Tracy took pride in everything she did. She was the ultimate hostess who loved to entertain large gatherings of family and friends. She brought life to every gathering, as her laugh was contagious and her personality was vibrant. Tracy also loved to shop and she was a local fashionista - she wore everything from her treasured jewelry given to her by Greg to the "funky jewelry" she picked up on shopping excursions. Tracy made sure that her coats, shoes and jewelry matched every outfit. Her nails were always done to perfection. She felt it was important to look nice for any outing and she made sure her girls had their hair fixed and were dressed in girly clothes.

Family was the most important part of Tracy's life. She was truly "the rock of her family." Tracy stayed involved in every aspect of her children's lives, calling them frequently to chat and make sure they were doing well. She was so proud of her kids and was content that they grew up, got married and lead happy lives. She affectionately referred to her kids as her "chicklings." Tracy was easy to please and didn't think life could get much better until her grandchildren were born. She realized that being a "Gram" was the greatest gift she ever received and her six grandkids brought more joy into her life than she could possibly imagine! Tracy's love was totally unconditional and will be a legacy to her family ...

Tracy was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Lowell and Alvina Golie, her maternal grandparents, Dr. R.C. and Anna Jo Gallus, and her in-laws Harlan and Eleanor Wendland.

She is survived by her husband of 34 years, Gregory Wendland of Rudyard; her children, Kirsten (Nathan) Faulconer of Billings, Heather Jo (Colt) Diemert of Rudyard, and Darius (Lindsey) Wendland of Rudyard; grandchildren, Brynlee and Katelyn Faulconer; Case, Cambree and Cora Jo Diemert; and Karson Dede; her parents, Bernie and Donna Golie of Havre; her siblings, Terril (Lance) Westgard of West Glacier, Trina (Donald) Brostrom of Havre, Bernie Joe (Kari) Golie of Havre, Brendon Golie of Havre, Bryan (Cindy) Golie of Wolf Creek, Trudi (Dan) Killham of Lewistown, and Brett (Danielle) Golie of Denver, Colorado; numerous nieces and nephews; and her lifelong friend, Barbara Solberg.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the "New Roof Fund" for the Rudyard Senior Citizen's Center.

Vigil prayers will be 7 p.m. today, Monday, Jan. 4, at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. Funeral Mass will be 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the high school gym in Rudyard. Following burial of ashes in the Rudyard Cemetery, a reception will be held at the Holy Family Youth Center in Rudyard.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel in Chester.