Margaret Ann Sampsel

Margaret "Maggie" Ann Sampsel was born on June 30, 1958, in Miles City, Montana, the fourth and youngest child of Dewey Munro Huss and Elizabeth Ann (Kelly) Huss. A woman of extraordinary intelligence, quiet strength, and fierce devotion to her family, Maggie grew up in Miles City and graduated from Sacred Heart Schools in 1976. It was there she met Robert (Bob) Sampsel while working at the local Dairy Queen. They married in Miles City in 1979.

The couple first lived in Bozeman while Bob attended Montana State University, where their son Joe was born in 1981. They later moved to Havre and then back to Miles City, where their daughter Marybeth arrived in 1983. Maggie set aside her own career ambitions to devote herself completely to her family. She created a warm and orderly home, sewing Halloween costumes by hand, preparing birthday treats for school, and gathering the family around the dinner table each night. She kept an immaculate house, changed the sheets every Sunday, and supported her children at every game, meet, recital, and important moment.

As her children grew and Bob’s health declined, Maggie returned to school in Billings, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees before attending the University of Montana School of Law. She received her law degree shortly after turning 50. She served the State of Montana in the Risk Management and Tort Defense Division in Helena, then moved to the Flathead Valley to be closer to her children and grandchildren. There she clerked for the Honorable Dan Wilson, with whom she formed a close professional and personal bond, working alongside him until her cancer diagnosis.

Maggie and Bob shared meaningful travels in her later years, including the Rose Bowl and Parade of Roses, trips to Calgary with their granddaughters, and journeys to Medora with their son’s family. She took great joy in watching her grandchildren perform in musicals, gymnastics, and sports. Maggie passed away peacefully at home on March 7, 2026, with her husband and children by her side. She was 67.

She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Robert Sampsel; her son Joe Sampsel and his wife Alyssa, and their sons Mason and Connor; and her daughter Marybeth Sampsel-Sullivan and her husband Paul, and their children Effie, Josie, Dewey, and Pauley. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dewey and Betty Huss, and her brother George “Jerry” Huss.