Obituary: Mary Alice (sweeney) Upton
Author: Family of Mary Alice (Sweeney) Upton
Mary Alice (Sweeney) Upton
Family of Mary Alice (Sweeney) Upton
Mary Alice (Sweeney) Upton passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 17th at Mount Ascension Transitional Care in Helena.
She was born in Helena on August 26, 1934, the third child of Cornelius J. and Mary Ellon (May Thomas) Sweeney of Winston.
With her siblings, she attended the Placer School in their Father’s field through 3rd grade when the school was closed and the family went one year to the Clasoil school before entering school in Townsend. She graduated from Broadwater County High School as co-valedictorian in 1953.
In April of that year, she began working at the State Bank of Townsend from which she retired in 2004 as Vice President. In 1961, she married Frank Upton of Butte, they had three sons and divorced in 1970.
Active in community organizations, beginning with the American Legion Auxiliary for over 60 years, she held all Unit and State offices serving as Department President in 1968-69 and Northwest Divisional Vice President in 1988-89. She was Secretary of the Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce for over 50 years.
She was active in her local church, serving as a Lector as well as Treasurer for any and all fund raisers and events. Community involvement led to her appointment to the Townsend City Council in 1974 where she served as Council President for six Mayors before becoming Mayor herself in June 1986, continuing until she retired in December 2015, as the longest serving Mayor in Townsend history.
Her parents and two sisters, Margaret Booher and Anne Sitton, her brother Tom Sweeney, and her son Thomas Upton, preceded her in death. She is survived by sons, Steven of Townsend, Daniel (Donna), of Bozeman, daughter-in-law Esmi, of Plano Texas, grandchildren, Matthew, Caitlyn, Andrew, Connor and Reagan, plus numerous nieces, and nephews. Services will be held at Holy Cross Catholic Church on Tuesday, August 27th, starting with a Rosary at 12:30, funeral mass at 1:00 with a reception in the church basement immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Broadwater Unit #42, the American Legion Auxiliary, or the Broadwater County Historical Society.
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