By Marilyn Pimperton
At 96 years old, Elsie Gruel still radiates the same strength and spirit that carried her through nearly a century of Montana living. Born and raised on a cattle ranch near Milligan, Montana, Elsie developed an early love for nature—and an even earlier understanding of hard work. By the age of 12, she was already running a combine, helping her family bring in the wheat harvest. Her life was shaped by the rhythms of the land and the unpredictable kindness—or cruelty—of Mother Nature.
Elsie’s journey took a beautiful turn when she married Bob Gruel, a wheat farmer from the Portage area. Together, they raised four children and tilled the soil under the wide Montana skies, depending on rain, sunshine, and grit to sustain their livelihood. Through both joy and hardship, Elsie embraced her roles as mother, homemaker, 4-H horse leader, ranch hand, and expert combine operator.
In 1982, Elsie faced her greatest heartbreak: the loss of her beloved son Wes to a rare disease called multiple myeloma. That same year, however, she was honored as Montana’s “Mother of the Year.” Her unwavering faith in God carried her through the storm, giving her strength as she stood proudly in the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, representing mothers across the state. For a woman who had rarely left rural Montana, standing in the Big Apple was a moment both humbling and empowering.
Despite grief, Elsie returned to her roots and kept on harvesting—literally. She continued driving the combine for another forty-one years, retiring in 2011 from the same land she worked as a child, near Smith River.
Today, Elsie lives at The ‘Iris’ retirement homes in Great Falls, where her energy and warmth still shine. She loves socializing with friends, sharing stories, and playing a good game of pinochle. Though the wheat fields are now behind her, her hands still tell the story of a life well-lived: one of resilience, devotion, and deep Montana roots.
Elsie’s journey is not only a tribute to Montana women but a reminder that love of land, faith, and family can carry a person through the longest winters—and into the brightest harvests.