Stella M. Plachetka

Stella M. Plachetka, beloved sister, cousin, mother, and grammy, passed away on March 5, 2026, at the age of 81. Born on October 9, 1944, in Great Falls, Montana, to Alex and Weltha (Boggs) Muir, she was the third of six children. She grew up in Augusta and was recognized in her senior year with the Crisco Award for Outstanding Student in Home Economics. After high school, she married Les Wedum and settled in Choteau, where their daughter Wendy was born two years later. The couple later parted ways.

Stella then met Francis “Frank” Plachetka, who cherished both her and Wendy. They eloped in 1972 and built a life together centered on hard work, family, and shared adventures. Stella’s career spanned several roles, including bookkeeper, deputy Clerk and Recorder, and Teton County Clerk and Recorder, before she concluded her professional years in retail sales and hospitality. She earned a bachelor’s degree in business management the day after her grandson Logan was born.

Stella and Frank were devoted grandparents, active in their community, and generous hosts who opened their home to friends, neighbors, and foreign exchange students. She treasured the summers spent caring for Logan in Great Falls and Choteau, creating a bond filled with joy and playful mischief. A true people person, Stella had a gift for making everyone feel welcome, whether they were strangers in an airport or new to the community. She volunteered as a classroom reading buddy and enjoyed traveling with Frank to the Caribbean and Germany, yet her greatest happiness came from time spent with family and friends.

Talented in ceramics, Norwegian rosemaling, tole painting, needlework, sewing, and quilting with the Choteau Quilt Group, Stella found special meaning in making quilts for children as Frank served as Undersheriff. An avid reader who made the best homemade lemon meringue pie, she loved cooking and trying new recipes with Frank to share with family and friends. The Fourth of July was a cherished tradition, with loved ones gathering at their home for the Choteau parade and rodeo, enjoying her warm hospitality and the colorful flowers that filled her pots. In her later years, dementia gradually diminished her abilities, and she was lovingly cared for by the compassionate staff at the Choteau BeeHive and Logan Health Care Center in Conrad, who became part of her extended family.

She was preceded in death by her husband Frank, brother Donald, parents Alex and Weltha, and in-laws Netelia Muir, Jan Plachetka, Freida Muir, and Edward Plachetka. Stella is survived by her daughter Wendy Wedum, grandson Logan Wedum, sisters Jean Muir, Margaret Lockovitch, and Kathy (James) Stone, brother Gordon Muir, brother-in-law Paul, sisters-in-law Helen (Ed) Miller and Carol Plachetka, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and their families.