Marie Frances Sonderman

Marie Varelia Sonderman, age 100, passed away on June 14, 2026 in Meridian, ID.

Marie was born in Butte, MT on June 6, 1926 to parents Sam and Henrietta Varelia. Marie was the daughter of a miner who immigrated from Croatia in 1913. She was the granddaughter of an Elk Park homesteader, Ida Borchert Tonkovich, whose strength and love were important influences on Marie’s life. In 1935, the family moved to a mining camp in Emery, MT where they lived in a one room cabin while Sam worked his claim, the Blue Eyed Maggie mine. Marie and her sisters, Mitzie (Ann) and Helen, walked to a country school that taught a total of 14 students. The family later moved back to Butte where Marie graduated from Butte High School. She went on to study nursing at Montana State College, graduating in 1949.

Marie married John Larish from Anaconda in 1951. They had four children Cathy, Vikkey, Helen, and Mitch. After Marie and John divorced in 1972, Marie became a single parent for her children while continuing her remarkable nursing career.

Her first job after graduating was teaching psychiatric nursing at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, MT. She also taught nursing for Montana State University at the Deaconess Hospital in Great Falls, MT. In the 1960’s she worked for Lewis and Clark City County Health Department in Helena, MT on the first clinical team for the Children and Youth Comprehensive Health Clinic, established to serve low-income children as part of the federal initiative of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. In 1970, she was presented with another pioneering nursing opportunity when she established the first Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) education program for the Helena Vocational-Technical Center, now the Helena College of the University of Montana. Marie was the lead nursing instructor for countless numbers of new LPNs through the 1970s and early 1980’s. Governor Tom Judge appointed Marie to the Montana State Board of Nursing in 1976.

Marie was never far away from her sister, Mitzie Milodragovich, who lived in Butte. Mitzie was the most enduring lifelong partner for Marie, until her death in 2014. Mitzie had four sons, Sam, Chris, Bobby and Mark Milodragovich. Marie and Mitzie raised their combined children like brothers and sisters. Their grandmother’s homestead in Elk Park was the perfect spot to get the cousins together. Elk Park also provided cherished extended family kinship with the Sologub family (Joe and Terry) and the Groo family (Andrea and Steve Shannon) and many beloved Milodragovich, McDonald, and Case “cousins”.

Fate gave Marie a new life opportunity when she met her second husband LTC Clarence (Gus) Sonderman at their mutual first grandchild’s baptism in 1983. Marie and Gus, the two grandparents, hit it off with mutual love for this first grandchild. They married in 1984. Marie and Gus later retired to Boise, ID to be near two of their three grandsons. They both pursued active volunteer schedules. Marie was a member and volunteer for St Marks Catholic Church. She was instrumental in helping the local chapter of AARP bring the Senior Olympics to Boise. She also worked for AARP’s Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program, doing community education and testifying to the Idaho legislature. She was honored by Governor Cecil D. Andrus with his Volunteer of the Year Award. Marie served on the national board for AARP for several years which gave them new friends with other senior volunteers at board meetings and conventions in Washington DC. They managed to take all three of their grandsons on several of these trips to the nation’s capital where they showed their next generation the treasures and monuments to American history that they had both respected. Marie and Gus were frequent visitors to Europe, visiting a daughter and family who lived in Germany, proving her ability to grandparent on two continents.

Marie especially loved trips home to Butte for Fourth of July parades and Elk Park Barbecues until her health declined. Her last trip to Elk Park was in 2019. These visits home, to her favorite place on earth, were a rich reservoir of memories that she invoked daily. She would love to reminisce about her family, friends, and good times at “the ranch” in phone calls to family and friends. All of her kids and grandkids believed she was the most extraordinary mother on earth. Her strength and good humor shielded and nourished them all their days.

Marie was preceded in death by her parents, Sam and Henrietta Varelia, sisters Helen Varelia and Mitzie Milodragovich, son Mitch Larish, nephew Chris Milodragovich, and both husbands, John Larish and Gus Sonderman. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-laws Vikkey and Kent Christensen (Meridian, ID), Cathy and John Vickers (Seal Rock, OR), Helen Larish (Seal Rock, OR). Grandsons and spouses Eric and Ashley Sonderman (Meridian ID), Jerrod and Jessica Sonderman, (Lexington, SC), Paul Vickers and Mary Kris Tunstall (Toledo, OR). Great grandchildren Preston Sonderman (Meridian, ID), Norman and Ann Marie Sonderman (Lexington, SC). Nephews Sam (Kathy) Milodragovich (Butte, MT), Bobby Milodragovich (Elk Park, MT), and Mark (Laurie) Milodragovich (Seattle, WA), and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.

The family would like to thank Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village in Meridian, ID and the entire staff of The Meadows for their extraordinary care of Marie. The staff and residents created a wonderful last home and Marie loved them all like family. Also a heartfelt thanks to the team from Keystone Hospice who provided exceptional care and support to our dear mother, aunt, and grandma.

To honor Mom, consider practicing interest in other people. Ask them “How is your day going?” and “Is there anything I can get you to eat?”, then be prepared to really listen and affirm your appreciation for the good work they do. In Marie’s words, “When you wake up and know who you are and where you’re at, it’s always a great day.”

A special donation for food security to a local food bank of your choice would mirror Marie’s lifelong values.

Funeral Mass will be June 22nd at St. Mark’s Church, Boise ID. Rosary at 10:00am, Mass at 11:00am. Reception at the church following Mass. A committal service will be held at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery, on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.