Mary's Obituary
Mary "Ann" Pursley was called home to the Lord on Sunday, December 31, 2023. She was the first born to Howard and Mary “Slim” Pfrimmer in Ennis, Montana, on February 2, 1938. The eldest of six siblings and ten half siblings, she loved to share stories about antics the older siblings experienced growing up together. She often recalled fond memories of time spent with her dad while he worked various jobs in Montana, especially when he worked as a ranch hand and a government trapper. She loved to hunt, and as a teenager won “The Big Buck Contest” for harvesting a massive mule deer. Needless to say, the older men in the competition were not happy that she was the winner.
While growing up in Big Sandy, Montana, she met Clarence “Allan” Pursley. They began casually dating while Ann was in high school, and they continued to correspond throughout his time in the military. Upon Allan’s return from the service, they became engaged. On May 16, 1956, Ann and Allan wed and started their family one year later. They had three children, Geri, Wayne and Norma.
Ann worked in Great Falls, MT retail business for years, making numerous friends that she cherished for years. When she would see “her customers” outside of work she would come home and tell her family that she had seen the person and more often than not, they did not know who she was talking about. When asked who the person was, her common response would be, “You know them, they came into Bob’s Thriftway, Noble’s Grocery Store, or Western Village,” and of course for the most part they were still unknown to the family.
In 1990 she joined the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association as a timer. Throughout her tenure, Ann worked many rodeos, including the Snake River Stampede in Nampa, ID, as well as the Montana Pro Rodeo Finals in Great Falls. While she loved timing events, Ann also had a passion for running the Cash Calendar program for the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit, where she would enlist the help of cowboys, cowgirls, friends, and family selling as many as possible. She held drawings each month at the saddle shop, Broken Arrow Saddlery, to award the winners and mail checks to each of them.
Ann served on the PRCA Montana Pro Rodeo Circuit board of directors as the secretary treasurer and was named “Outstanding Board Member” in 1990.
Her most valued achievement while working in the rodeo business was in 2000 when she became a lifetime member of the PRCA and was awarded a gold card for her efforts.
When asked to be one of the original members of HANDS in the late 1990s, she was more than honored and in fact was quite humbled. Fifty ladies from within the rodeo business formed this group to assist those within the western lifestyle during their time of need.
Ann shared various honors with her husband, Allan. They were inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018, honored by the Northern Rodeo Association in the 1990s, and the Montana Pro Rodeo Wall of Fame in the early 2000s.
Family and friends were the most important part of Ann's life. Her infectious smile would light up a room, and she never met a stranger. Ann surrounded herself with incredible friends and made everyone feel welcome in her home. She was known as a prankster and would serve up her "famous" pancakes to her unsuspecting guests, which would include a lucky person having gauze baked into the pancake so they could not cut it. Everyone would laugh and then have a plate of her delicious pancakes sans gauze.
Ann holds a very special bond with her great grandchildren, Caleb, Andrew, and Ruth who live in Great Falls. She was an integral caretaker after their adoptions. She instilled in them a love for puzzles, collecting rocks, painting, crafts, and watching the Game Show Network.
She adores her great grandson, Colten, who lives in Nashville, TN, and was always so thrilled to spend time with him.
Ann was preceded in death by her father, Howard Pfrimmer; mother, Mary Pfrimmer; husband, Allan Pursley; son, Wayne Pursley; sisters, Toni Brewster, Rita Peoples, and Paula Pfrimmer; her brothers-in-law, Bob Brewster, Brian Davis, Pat O’Connor, and Duke Pursley.
She is survived by her daughters, Geri Pursley and Norma (Marty) Graham; grandchildren, Willow (John) Rossmiller, Colette (Joe) Zielinski, Mahria Graham, and Travis Graham; great-grandchildren, Caleb Rossmiller, Andrew Rossmiller, Ruth Rossmiller, and Colten Graham-Sinclair; step-mother, Veva Pfrimmer; siblings, Lou O’Connor, Dolly (George) Annis, Chuck (Wanda) Pfrimmer, Melanie Davis, Noel (Tom) Gorton, Brent (Debbie) Pfrimmer, Julie (Todo) Pearson, Jonna (Mike) Wallis, Billie (Dave) Billheimer, Robert (Debi) Pfrimmer, Nona (Rolly) Johnson, and Nina Bennett; sister-in-law, Dolly Pursley; brother-in-law, Benny Peoples; and aunt, Donna Shovlin; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends that were family.
Per Ann’s request, instead of a memorial service, the family blessed her with "a coffee,” as she called it, prior to her passing. She was able to spend the last three weeks of her life reminiscing and sharing memories with her family and friends. “Annie Banannie” was an incredible person who blessed everyone she encountered. Please think of her when you hear that 8-second whistle blow at a rodeo.
