Jeanne Marie (Hagen) Milledge, born November 10, 1954, in Great Falls, Montana, to Norman and Mildred Hagen, passed away on July 30, 2026, at the age of 71.
Jeanne was the second-born child and the only daughter, sharing her youth on the family farm with her three brothers, Paul, Michael, and David. She treasured the many gatherings she shared with her aunts, uncles, and cousins on the farm and in the Sun River Canyon, where family traditions and lifelong memories were made.
After graduating from Power High School in 1973, she worked at a nursing home, and later at Yellowstone National Park, where she would meet her future husband, Ken Milledge. They married in 1979, and settled in Helena, Montana, and raised their only child, Christopher. Ken moved the family to Bozeman in 1991 to attend Montana State University, where all three Milledges would eventually earn bachelor’s degrees within five years of each other. After working for MSU in food services and landscaping, Jeanne decided to pursue her degree in Criminal Justice, graduating with honors in 2002. During this time Jeanne also volunteered many hours answering calls at the Help Center.
Jeanne recognized the beauty of God’s creation in the smallest things. A pretty rock, pinecones, or leaves, were treasures that friends and family were often recruited to carry home. Jeanne’s greatest joy was being a mother to Chris and later a grandmother to Oliver, Simon, and Daniel. Attentive, gentle, and sacrificing, she gave all she had to their care and happiness. These skills she adapted to her work in Home Health Services, caring for clients suffering dementia until as recently as 2024.
Jeanne was a genuine follower of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Everyone who knew Jeanne felt His love through her. Friends, family, clients, and coworkers alike were heard by Jeanne, and served by her inexhaustible patience and kindness.
After the discovery of melanoma in 2023, Jeanne’s last few years were marked by difficult battles. A stroke following a lung biopsy left her with a paralyzed left arm and cognitive challenges. Even then, her kind and gentle spirit lead to many more friends in the staff and residents at Highgate in Bozeman.
Jeanne is survived by her son Christopher (Katherine) Milledge; her grandsons Oliver, Simon, and Daniel Milledge; her brothers Paul (Lisa) Hagen, and Michael Hagen. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken Milledge; and her brother, David Hagen.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, August 20, 1:00 p.m., at Summit Church, 921 W. Mendenhall, Bozeman. Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com].
