Mertice Marottek

Mertice “Mert” Marottek, 90, died Dec. 12, 2021, at Poplar Hospital in Poplar.

She was born on Feb. 4, 1931, in Vida to Charles and Alice Wolski. When she was a young girl, she lived in Park Grove, while her father helped to build the Fort Peck Dam. She attended school for a time in Spokane, Wash., and graduated from high school in Wolf Point in the spring of 1948.

She married Frank Marottek on Nov. 19, 1948, at the First Presbyterian Church in Poplar. She and Frank had three sons: John in 1949, Charles in 1951 and Harold in 1956.

Her first job after marriage was cleaning at the Dale Hospital. It was the first and only job she was ever fired from, for helping another employee finish her tasks. She was hired at the Community Hospital shortly after that and was a nurse for the next 14 years.

In 1970, she and Frank purchased the Buckhorn Bar and Restaurant. She worked every position from cleaner to cook. The Buckhorn really was her life and she could always be found in the kitchen or behind the bar, writing out food orders, making soups and baking pies, maple sticks and cinnamon rolls. She was “Mama Mert” to everyone who worked for her and was a therapist as much as she was a boss.

She enjoyed puttering around the farm on her golf cart, watering flowers and, in her younger years, gardening. She was an expert canner and baker. She always had cookies on hand for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and loved having them over to visit.

She was a member of the Montana Tavern Association and, in 2019, the association named her Montana’s Retailer of the Year. She was also named a Brown-Forman Retailer of the Year by the American Beverage Licensees’ Association in 2019.

On Sunday mornings, she was a fixture at the First Presbyterian Church in Poplar.

She is survived by her three sons, John Marottek of Denver, Colo., Charles Marottek of Poplar and Harold Marottek of Poplar; seven grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Marottek; and brothers, Ed and George Wolski.

Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 20, at the First Presbyterian Church in Poplar with internment at the Poplar City Cemetery following. Clayton Stevenson Memorial Chapel was entrusted with arrangements.