Marlis Dorothy Neisinger, 81

Marlis Dorothy Neisinger, 81, of Kalispell peacefully passed away of natural causes Thursday, June 20, 2024, at Hidden Meadow Memory Care.

Marlis was born December 15, 1942, in Missoula. She was proud to call Missoula her hometown.

She began a lifelong friendship with Sharon Stratton Parmalee in elementary school. As newlyweds, Marlis and Charles moved north of Kalispell where she met Joan Gahr Johnson. These three ladies always remained close. It was a deeply cherished bond for them all.

Marlis married Charles Berlinger in 1962. The young couple tried their hand at ranching north of Kalispell near the end of Farm to Market Road until moving south of town in 1968. Their children included: Bonnie, Colleen, Marleen, and John. Over the following years, Marlis’ grandchildren provided her much joy. 

Charles passed in 1998. Marlis later met and married Leo Schaefer in 2009 happily adding his children and grandchildren to her family. They loved to travel and enjoyed many a family reunion until his passing in 2020.

Marlis was known for being a tenacious, determined, and self-sufficient entrepreneur. She made and sold a variety of items in her life, but she was best known for the potholders by “Gramma M” which she made and sold for over 30 years. Marlis valued her abilities to be creative and resourceful and shared her gifts generously with her friends and family.

Her children will remember the Northwest Montana Fair, as she was a staple there for many years. Summer was not complete without having been at the Fair.

Her grit, self-motivation, and of course her cherished Ford Mavericks, carried her through life. 

She never met a stranger and always shared a friendly joke or song to brighten the day of anyone who crossed her path. She leaves a legacy of looking for a way to bring laughter, no matter how challenging life appears.

A very special thank you to the wonderful Caregivers at Hidden Meadow Memory Care. They welcomed Marlis with open arms and hearts. Their mutual love will live on.

Marlis was preceded in death by Charles Berlinger; Leo Scheafer; brother Larry Neisinger; and parents Glenn Raymond and Margaret Dorothy Neisinger.

She is survived by her children Bonnie (Scott) Kiser, Colleen Berlinger, Marleen (Dale) Probert, and John (Debbie) Berlinger; brother Raymond Neisinger; several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held at Missoula City Cemetery in Missoula on Monday, July 1, at 11 am.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to Hidden Meadow Memory Care, 240 Hidden Meadow Lane, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.