Carla K. Chrisman

Carla Katia Chrisman, age 71, died Sunday morning, June 16th after a brave battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Carla was born January 14, 1948 in Great Falls. She graduated from Great Falls High in 1966 where she was instrumental in paving the way for female athletics. She married Jerry Chrisman later that year and was married for 16 years.

Carla was an athlete in every sense of the word. From softball to racquetball and horseshoes to bowling, she loved and excelled at all sports. She loved animals dearly and had pet snakes, hamsters, pigs, rats, horses, dogs, cats, birds, and a ferret.

She moved to Conrad in 1979 with Jerry and her two children. She worked at Conrad High School for a few years in the mid 1980’s as a P.E. Assistant and volunteer tennis coach. She later worked for many years at Cascade Campers and then at Crossroads Correction Center in Shelby, until she retired in 2013. She loved taking care of her family, her friends, her pets, and her yard. She lived a beautifully simple life and was a great friend to many in the community.

She was preceded in death by her father, Ben Reinstein, in 1996 and her mother, Flory Reinstein, in 2007. Survivors include her daughter, Montana Duncan and son-in-law Corey Duncan of Austin, TX; her son, Shad Chrisman and daughter-in-law Erynn Chrisman of Conrad; two sisters, Tanya Hyatt of Minneapolis and Sonya Hubert of Great Falls; two nieces, a nephew, and eight grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place and memorial services will be held Saturday, August 3rd at Asper Funeral Home at 11am.

Memorials and donations can be made to the Bright Eyes Animal Shelter at http://brighteyesanimalshelter.org/make-a-donation/ or to the ALS Association at http://www.alsa.org/donate/.