Our sweet Mama, Wife, Gramma, Friend and Sister, Pamela Ann Beron Wedum was born on July 18, 1953 to Raymond and Lois Beron. She was a beautiful baby with jet black hair and dark brown eyes. She was born in Duluth, MN and raised in Proctor, MN on Boundary Avenue. She was the first of her siblings to go to college and she headed to Moorhead State University in Moorhead, MN. She received her degree in Speech Pathology and decided to head West, following her adventurous heart, and a couple of good friends. They landed in Montana, the state that would be her home for the rest of her born days.
It was here that she met and fell in dislike and then love with Neal, her husband of 46 years, and had their two girls, Meghan Dianne, and Kate McCormick. Her adventures with Neal started in East Glacier and “The Two”, a place that she held dear until the day she left this earthly realm. Pam worked as a Speech Pathologist in Browning, falling in love with her work and her students. Her kids from Browning remained some of her favorites throughout her career. After living with Neal in East Glacier in a converted chicken coop for 5 years, Pam went back to Moorhead State to earn her Master’s Degree. When she came back to Montana, she and Neal moved to the big city, Whitefish, where she worked for Big Sky Special Needs Cooperative and traveled around the entirety of North Western Montana providing speech services for schools.
In May of 1981, the first light of her life, Meghan Dianne, was born. She came out with a full head of black hair, just like her Mama, and a scowl, just like her Dad. It was then that Pam realized her full potential as a Mom. She could not BEAR to leave her baby in the care of anyone else, and so became “the other mother” to a passel of kids at her in-home daycare. By the time the second light of her life, Kate McCormick, was earthside in July of 1983, she had five 2-year-olds in a wagon, and a brand-new baby strapped to her chest as she navigated the streets of Whitefish. And what a time they had! Pam adored all of her “kids” and treated them as her own. Meghan and Kate thought they had more siblings than they did, and continue to count them as brothers and sisters of the heart. Pam thrived in chaos and that was never more clear than when she threw her kids a party. Everyone was invited, there was always a dance performed, and usually masks or feather boas involved. Our Mom WAS the party.
The Wedum family moved slightly north each summer to Glacier National Park so Dad could do his backcountry rangering, and Mom could kick us out of the house after breakfast and only allow us back at dinner. We have no idea what she did all day, but can assure you, it did not involve cooking….. Pam was the ultimate Kraft Mac and Cheese maker and the cheese runs thick in the veins of her children, and subsequently her grandchildren. She loved to get out and pick huckleberries and yell at the bears that came too close. In those days her heart belonged to Fish Creek campground on the West side and we spent many a day on the beach, throwing rocks, swimming just until our lips turned blue, and then snuggling close to warm up before she kicked us back out again. In later days, Two Medicine took back her heart and she and Dad had 10 years of volunteer service as the best campground hosts and speed enforcers (wink, wink) that the Park had ever seen. Mom’s speed limit sign will live on in infamy…
In 1997, the family made a move across the mountains to Choteau where they planted their roots a bit deeper and made a home. Pam worked at the elementary school and surrounding Hutterite colonies as a speech pathologist and loved working with the Choteau kids. There was something about a tiny kid in a cowboy hat and boots that just had her heart melting. She tried her hand at managing a law office…and after that decided to be done with work altogether…that is, until she realized she wasn’t done raising babies. She cared for numerous kiddos in the Choteau area and, again, loved each of them as if they were her own. She always felt so honored to be a part of their lives. Mom also volunteered with Peace Hospice in Choteau and she always said she felt it brought her more peace than any other work she’d done.
Meanwhile, Meghan (Acey) and Kate (Bill) started their own families and gave Pam what she always wanted…grandchildren of her own. Jace came first and became the third light of Pam’s life. They were two peas in a hysterical pod and were mischief times two. Jace was lucky enough to have his Umma to himself for 10 whole years before Ila joined the cousin crew. Kate was lucky enough to have her Mom come to Alaska to spend time after Ila was born and the two of them became thick as thieves as well. Ryan was next, born during Covid, so Pam had to wait to hold him, but they were heart connected from their first look. AnnaKate joined shortly thereafter and rounded out the spicy foursome that Mom loved so much. Her greatest joy was watching her girls be Moms and watching her grandkids grow and change and flourish. Her girls greatest joy was watching her take on a role she was born for—loving their babies.
Pam is survived by her everloving husband of 46 years, Neal, her touchstone and caregiver extraordinaire. She is survived by her daughter, Meghan, her husband Acey, and their children Jace and AnnaKate. She is survived by her daughter, Kate, her husband Bill, and their children Ila and Ryan. She is survived by her brothers and sisters on both sides of the family, and many beloved nieces and nephews. She is survived by the friends who were also family—you know who you are and there are A LOT of you. If you question whether you’re included, you are.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, click here to visit the Croxford Funeral Home website.
