Ella Mae Cline, 96, died Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at the Bee Hive Assisted Living Home in Great Falls, Montana. Her funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at the Fort Benton United Methodist Church with Pastor Losaline Tupoumalohi officiating. Her burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery. Memorials in Ella Mae's honor may be made to the Dedman Foundation, P.O. Box 1282, Fort Benton, Montana 59442. Please visit Ella Mae's online memorial page at www.bentonfh.com to leave a message of condolence for her family. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Benton Funeral Home.

Ella Mae was born October 18, 1921 in Big Sandy, Montana to Frank and Ann (Michalek) Nepil. She grew up on the family farm southeast of Big Sandy with her 5 brothers and 1 sister. She attended school in Big Sandy and graduated from high school there. She talked about walking miles to milk cows at night and told us stories of how hard her mother worked and what a good cook she was. Ella Mae definitely got that from her mother! She was known for her lemon pies and patica. She met Lloyd Cline and the couple married on September 9, 1939. You could find Ella Mae working alongside her husband with the farming. She also spent many hours caring for their 6 children at the end of a long day.

Ella Mae was loving to her children along with their families, and a good friend to many. You never left her home hungry. Ella Mae prided herself on her gardening and cooking skills. She enjoyed preparing meals and baking for family and friends. She loved to have card parties and go to friends for their parties. She was also an avid reader.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Lloyd Cline in 1988, and their son Gary Cline; her 5 brothers, Frank, Bill, Jerry, Ladd, and Charlie; and her sister, Emily Tomes.

Ella Mae is survived by her daughters, Judy Ries (Bob), Karen Frazier, and Shelley Flegel; sons Allen Cline and Larry (Sue) Cline; grandchildren, Kim Tacke, Kellie Ries, Kristy Berkihiser (Jarrad), Colby and Casey Cline (Jaimie), and Brook and Kayla Flegel; great-grandchildren, Vicki Lynn (Brice) Terpstra, Christopher and Ryan Tacke, Samantha and Sydni Berkihiser, & Katie, Wyatt, Kenzie, Riley and Cooper Cline.

Ella Mae was a caring mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be missed by all of her family.