Comments on: Mari Patricia Nelson Holms, age 70, of Polson formerly of Helena

By: Ted Polette

Ted Polette — Tue, 05 May 2026 04:27:33 +0000

I’m so sorry to hear about Mari’s passing.She was a gentle soul and a genuinely good person. I knew her and Val from the gymnastics days long ago and was Val’s neighbor up Miller Creek in Missoula 50+ years ago. I miss them both.
“Where there is sadness, love plants a garden of memories!” May Mari and Val’s garden bloom brilliantly forever.

By: Carolyn Pelletier

Carolyn Pelletier — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:40:14 +0000

So sorry to read of Mari’s passing. However, what an extraordinary life she lived and lived well. My deepest sympathies to her entire family. I’m sure she and Val have been reunited again.

By: Carol Vosbeck

Carol Vosbeck — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 23:35:18 +0000

Miss Mari, was such an integral part of our lives. She was my daughters and her friends gymnastic/ cheerleading teacher. She touched so many lives She was such a positive role model, she always had a smile. One of her motto's " hands on those hips and smile on those lips " will always stick with us. Our hearts are broken to hear of her passing and she will be missed. Her spirit will always be with us. Our prayers and love to her family.

By: Mary Beth white Fisette

Mary Beth white Fisette — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 20:25:45 +0000

God bless Mari. Now she is with her husband and parents. I just heard of her passing. I’m so sorry for all of the family, friends, and any life she touched! Mari touched mine! Grew up on 6th Ave. thinking of you all!

By: Kent Atwood

Kent Atwood — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 19:41:48 +0000

So sorry to hear of Miss Mari’s passing, she was so full of life! We and our children were long time students of Val & Mari’s T.H.S. Karate studio. We will never forget going in with our infant daughter before class and there Mari was, grabbing and draping our white dish towel burp towel over her faded black Karate Ghe shoulder and carrying around our daughter while bustling around before class. Good times.

By: Kathleen Hamill

Kathleen Hamill — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:06:14 +0000

Mike and Stephanie,
So sorry to hear about Mari’s death. Our prayers for your family and all who loved her.
Kathy and Maury Hamill

By: Donna Mueller Davidson

Donna Mueller Davidson — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 20:03:38 +0000

One of Bishop Gilmore girls! Her and Val taught our son,Joel,karate and he loved their class. They really made a difference in a lot of kid’s lives. It was nice to see her at the 50th class reunion. My parents were very good friends with her parents.
Our condolences to her surviving family. What a great life she had.
Donna Mueller Davidson and John Davidson.

By: Rebecca Reber

Rebecca Reber — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:23:10 +0000

I am so saddened to hear this news. Mari and I grew up together, same class at Bishop Gilmore and Helena High School. Our families knew each other. Mari was a force. It was so much fun to see her at our 50th class reunion. We had a lot of laughs and she looked amazingly fit and was really happy. Sending my love to her family. RIP sweet girl.

Rebecca (Becky) Reber- Burness

By: Nikki Johnson

Nikki Johnson — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 13:37:00 +0000

Mari was, on the surface, our daughters’ dance and gymnastics instructor—but to call her only that would miss the heart of who she truly was. She was a mentor in every sense of the word, someone who shaped not just skills, but character. In her presence, my girls learned self-worth, strength, leadership, and confidence. She had a rare gift for seeing something special in every child and helping them see it in themselves.

Mari created more than a place to learn a sport—she built a space where girls could grow into who they were meant to be. She encouraged them to reach for the stars and reminded them, again and again, that they were capable of anything they set their minds to. Those lessons will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

To our family, Mari was so much more than a teacher. She was a dear friend, someone whose kindness and spirit became woven into our everyday lives. We will deeply miss the joy in her voice, especially the way she called our daughters by their nicknames—“Birdseed” and “Sparrowlegs”—little moments that meant so much and will never be forgotten.

Though our hearts are heavy with the loss, we find comfort in believing she is reunited with Val. And while she may no longer be here with us, the impact she made—the confidence she built, the love she gave, and the lives she shaped—will continue on in every child she touched.

We will carry her with us always. Hands on those hips, smiles on those lips forever Miss Mari- Love Nikki and Dean Johnson, Layne Schleeman and Deven Wall.

By: Mark & Joanne Gilert

Mark & Joanne Gilert — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 22:08:32 +0000

It is with great sadness that we hear of Miss Marys passing. Both myself and my wife were friends of Mary and Val, having attended the Karate studio as well as perhaps better., the Bible studies held in their home as well as that of Marys parents. It is through that teaching that I came to the Lord. She was a wonderful person, never having a sour note for anyone, rather a welcoming smilea and a kind word for anyone she met. She will be truly missed, but she and Val are together again, in the arms of the Lord. Our prayers to the family who are left behind.

Rest in the comfort of the Lord, Miss Mary and Coach Val