Audra Morger-Bonilla, beloved wife, mother, sister, and daughter left us for heaven on June 18, 2011, after a 3 \u00bd year battle with ovarian cancer.<\/p>\n
Audra was born on January 9, 1968, at Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, Montana, to Victoria A. and Wallace E. Morger. Audra was raised in Fort Benton and she graduated from Fort Benton High School in 1986. Audra was active in swimming, drama, and basketball as well as numerous other school and community related activities while she was growing up.<\/p>\n
After graduating from high school, Audra matriculated to the University of Montana where she obtained her bachelor\u2019s degree in English and certification to teach grades 7-12. While attending the University, Audra met her future husband, Gregory Bonilla, on September 8, 1988, while they were beginning training to be resident assistants. It is a day Gregory will never forget. Audra and Gregory were married in Fort Benton on July 14, 1990. The couple finished college the following spring and then Audra took her first teaching job in Colville, Washington. Audra then taught in California while Gregory attended law school. The couple returned to Fort Benton on June 19, 1996 for what was supposed to be a brief summer stay but wound up staying in Fort Benton for 13 years.<\/p>\n
Audra taught English along with several other subjects intermittently in Fort Benton. She also coached basketball, track, and speech and drama for the Shorthorns and Longhorns. During this time period, Audra also taught one year at Paris Gibson Middle School and one year as adjunct faculty at the MSU-COT in Great Falls.<\/p>\n
However, after her son, Grayson was born in 2001, Audra devoted herself mainly to being a mother and wife. When Grayson was small, Audra delighted in taking walks around the hometown she loved with all her heart while pushing Grayson in his stroller. Gregory estimates she put one thousand miles on the stroller before it finally wore out.<\/p>\n
Then, on December 10, 2007, Audra was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer and thus began her final battle which she fought with grace, humor, and a determination born of her deep faith in Jesus. Audra enjoyed a remission between June 2008 and November 2009, which she and her family and friends savored. During her remission, it was wonderful to see Audra able to do many of the things she loved to do like water skiing, kayaking, biking, and dancing. Even while she was sick, Audra managed to laugh and love and even remained involved in many community activities like the Fort Benton Women\u2019s Club Food Drive and the annual Fort Benton Fun Run.<\/p>\n
During the last 6 months of her life, Audra was given only days to live several times, but kept fighting back to the amazement of her healthcare providers and loved ones. However, her body was finally unable to keep up with what her spirit wanted it to do, and she finally had to say good-bye to her loved ones after one final, brief stay in the hospital.<\/p>\n
Audra will always be remembered for her loving nature, her humor, her generosity, and her sheer love of life. She was beloved by all of her family and friends. Moreover, she was the best wife and mother \u201cher boys\u201d could have had. We are all grateful to have had her with us, even if her time here on earth was too short. She will, of course, live on in our hearts and memories even as her spirit lives on in Paradise.<\/p>\n
Audra was preceded in death by her mother, Victoria A. Axtman. Audra is survived by her husband Gregory and her son Grayson of Helena, her father Wallace E. Morger (Muncie) of Fort Benton; sisters Valerie Morger (Mark Pyrak) of Fort Benton, Venetta Morger (John Wood) of The Woodlands, TX, Darcy Morger-Grovenstein (Glenn) of Prescott Valley, AZ, Lisa Morger-Miller (John) of Missoula, and Wallis Morger-Bryan (Van) of Bozeman; brothers Randy Morger of Fort Benton, Shane Morger (Geri) of Ventura, CA, and Brian of Great Falls. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.<\/p>\n
Audra\u2019s funeral will take place at 11 a.m., Wednesday, June 22 at Helena First Assembly of God Church, 2210 Dodge Ave., in Helena. A brief graveside service will take place at Riverview Cemetery, Fort Benton, Mont., at 2 p.m., Thursday, June 23, with a gathering of family and friends to follow immediately that afternoon at the Fort Benton Agricultural Center. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Retz Funeral Home in Helena. To offer condolences to the family or share a memory of Audra, please visit: www.retzfuneralhome.com.<\/p>\n
Audra deeply cared about children, particularly the impoverished and orphaned. She was a devoted contributor to many charities and religious organizations committed to caring for such children. Therefore, her family requests that memorials in her memory be sent to World Vision International, P.O. Box 9716, Dept. W, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716 (www.worldvision.org) or the Victoria A. Morger Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 385, Fort Benton, MT, 59442.<\/p>\n
While we mourn our beloved, and while we know she can never be replaced, please remember that even in the last hours of her life she still found the strength to make us laugh and feel loved.<\/p>\n","photo":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/1188784.jpg","youtube_video_url":"","family_email":"","family_first_name":"","family_last_name":"","event_title5":"","event_date5":"","start_time5":"","end_time5":"","location5":"","address5":"","city5":"","state5":"","zipcode5":"","event_title6":"","event_date":"","start_time6":"","end_time6":"","location6":"","address6":"","city6":"","state6":"","zipcode6":"","event_title7":"","event_date7":"","start_time7":"","end_time7":"","location7":"","address7":"","city7":"","state7":"","zipcode7":"","event_title8":"","event_date8":"","start_time8":"","end_time8":"","location8":"","address8":"","city8":"","state8":"","zipcode8":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case\/23333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}