Ellen Gilger

Ellen Gilger, age 72 of Boyes, Montana, died Saturday, June 26, 2021 after a long and private battle with cancer.

The funeral service will be held 11 am Thursday, July 1st, 2021 at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fouche. Pastor Samuel Smith will officiate the service. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place in Pine Slope Cemetery in Belle Fourche.

The funeral will be live-streamed on Ellen's obituary page, located on the funeral home's website: http://www.LeveringtonFH.com.

Hazel Ellen DeCock was born January 5th, 1949 in Billings, Montana. She was the daughter of Kathleen (Schmeling) and Cornelius E. DeCock. Her first years were spent on Fish Creek which is south of Shawmut, MT. She soon moved to south of Harlowton, MT so she could attend school and graduated from high school there in 1967. She went on to attend 3 semesters of college at Miltonvale Wesleyan College in Miltonvale, KS (now educates in Bartlesville, OK known as Oklahoma Wesleyan University). Attending this Christian college really changed the path of her life as she met Gayla Gilger there intertwining the Gilger and DeCock families. Gayla married her brother, Carl DeCock while Ellen married Gayla's brother, Dusty Gilger in 1976. She finished her degree in Elementary Education at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD. She then went on to use her degree teaching 1 year at Cherry Creek, MT, 2 years at Sonnette, MT, and part of a year at Broadus, MT. If someone ever mentioned one of her former students, she often commented how she or he was "one of her kids" from teaching.

Pregnancy complications caused Ellen to cut her teaching career short, but she was able to then focus on ranching with Dusty on Pilgrim Creek with his folks. There they raised 4 children. A significant event in Ellen's life occurred around age 5. Her parents did something unusual and attended a special church service. A shy little girl who hid under her Mother's skirts, did something uncharacteristic. She went up to the front of the church in front of many people to ask Jesus into her heart. It was such a life changing moment from then her desire was to serve the Lord. Ellen's faith impacted those around her from family, friends, neighbors to complete strangers. She constantly praised God for His interventions in her life.

Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, Cornelius & Kathleen DeCock, her father-in-law and mother-in-law Douglas & Fidelia Gilger, brother Carl DeCock, sister-in-law Gayla (Gilger, DeCock) Fredrickson.

She is survived by her husband Dusty Gilger; children Truston Gilger (Boyes), Elissa Gilger, Gaiton (Jasmynn) Gilger (Caney, KS), and Gideon Gilger (Spearfish); grandchildren Jane, Jonah, Joya, and Joseph (Jojo) Gilger all of Caney, KS; brothers Gary (Lela) DeCock (Oshkosh, NE) and Randy (Arna) DeCock (Harlowton, MT); brothers-in-law Dan (Jan) Gilger (Belle Fourche, SD) and Jim Fredrickson (Elgin, NE); plus, numerous nieces and nephews.

Ellen would prefer memorial money be given directly to people in need. If God has laid someone on your heart, she would love for you to bless them by caring for their need. If you feel uncomfortable doing so, ministries she sowed into include Caldwell Springs Camp or SHIFT ministries.