Our beloved mother, grandmother, and friend, Vanee Carol Tollefson, 84, passed from her earthly garden to God’s eternal paradise on April 16, 2022, at Benefis Peace Hospice after valiantly battling cancer. Vanee was born to Ben and Dolly Vasichek in Malta on May 17, 1937. She graduated from Shelby High School in 1955. Vanee attended MSU Northern in Havre where she earned her legal secretary degree.
While a secretary with the University of Washington she met and soon married David Tollefson from Tacoma, WA. After David graduated in electrical engineering, Vanee and David moved to California where they both worked for North American Aviation during the exciting Apollo space mission days.
Vanee’s two oldest children, Scott and Leslie, were born in Anaheim, CA. Shortly thereafter, Dave died from a tragic illness in late 1967. After David’s death, Vanee moved her two children to the Huntington Beach area where she worked for McDonald Douglas. She married again whereafter her youngest daughter Stephanie was born before the relationship ended.
Vanee returned to Montana in 1974 to raise her three children in Great Falls. She continued her secretarial work to provide them with strong educations and a variety of extracurricular activities. Although Vanee had limited time to continue her interests while caring for her children, she did meet her partner for life, Marvin Marxer, during a community dance.
Vanee is survived by her sister, Karen Menconi; children, Scott Tollefson, Leslie Scariano, and Stephanie Tollefson; and grandchildren, Christian, Savannah, and Kavanaugh Tollefson, Gabrielle and Justin Scariano.
To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.
