Bernard Francis Baune

Born on May28, 1935, north of Carter, Montana on the family farm. Early years were spent surrounded by his grandpa and grandma, and 2 great-uncles and aunts as they all farmed around the area. The nearest school was Fort Benton which required him to stay there for the school year. His second year or so of school his dad moved the family to Sun River, so he was not far from the school and had kids his own age to play with.

Dad went to Simms High School where he met the love of his life, Shirley May Walt. They wed in November of 1955, and moved to Black Eagle, where they lived the rest of their lives. November 2022 was their 67th anniversary with mom passing the following January and dad not too far behind passing October 24, 2023. Dad and mom built the house that we three kids grew up in. They both worked on it from 1959 to 1961. It had a flat roof as dad always planned on another story, but life happens, kids grow up and move and it was not needed anymore.

Mom and dad also enjoyed square dancing for many years with the Dudes and Dolls. Dad also enjoyed throwing horseshoes and was state champion a few times. This he gave up when mom’s softball team needed a coach, so he was a coach. Dad enjoyed wood working and built all the cabinets in the house along with beds, music cabinets, gun racks. Dad also did many custom jobs for other people. Family was extremely important to dad, he loved when everyone was around, whether it was the dining room table or a campfire. Dad was also great at letting us try different things, and he would do it with us. Be it taxidermy, fine he was in, shooting and reloading, building gun stocks he was involved in all of it. If dad had not met mom, he probably would have been a hermit as he loved the outdoors.

We went camping damn near every weekend. Mom would have everything packed and us kids ready and when dad came home on Friday, we were off. Then when us kids left the two would head out every weekend. They went through 2 tents, 2 toppers, 2 or 3 motor homes along with 3 sets of mountain bikes. Dad said they put on over 80,000 miles in the mountains on their bikes. Then as they got older, golf took over the weekends and they would travel in the motor home every weekend to Choteau. They later became snowbirds heading to Arizona every winter. Dads first year of retirement they took off for a tour of the US., his first thought was to travel south until someone asked him what the plug in hanging out the grill was for.

Dad was preceded in death by his dad and mother, Frank Baune and Cecelia Gertrude Baune (Tacke); little brother; John Baune; and wife, Shirley May Baune (Walt).

He is survived by his three children, Mark Baune (Denice), Ken Baune (Wendi), and Theresa Kolar (Brian); little sister, Marie Konesky; seven grandkids; and 10 great-grandkids at last count.

Cremation has taken place with celebration of life to be May 11, 2024, at 2 pm at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel.