Justine Leah Luebke

With tremendous sadness and broken hearts, we announce the passing of Justine Leah Luebke, 34, of Missoula, MT. Justine passed away on November 16, 2022, in her childhood home, after a 3 year and 9 month hard fought battle with cancer. Justine was born to love, encourage and teach young children but these characteristics bled over into every facet of her life - notably her relationships with family, friends, and her beloved fur babies. Justine, born to Kim and Kurt Luebke along with her older sister Jennifer, took her first breath on October 13, 1988. She is preceded in death by her grandparents - Art & Gale Davis and Winfred & Joyce Luebke. Justine grew up sledding to the bus stop, climbing trees, and making dirt and flower potions at her wooded home on Evaro Hill. She attended preschool in a one-room log cabin with a wood stove just one mile from her home. She enjoyed swimming and dance but truly found her calling when she discovered babysitting before she was even old enough to babysit. She began with her mother driving her to gigs and sitting in the next room while she cared for and thoughtfully entertained children who were barely younger than her. Justine babysat her way through high school and college and has been repeatedly hailed as, ‘the best babysitter a family has ever had. ’ This is especially true for the family whose three children she cared for over a span of 17 years, becoming like cherished family to all of them. The highlight of their many summers together was their an annual 18-mile bike trek from Lolo to Florence, affectionately referred to as “Tour de Florence. ” After graduating from Frenchtown High School in 2007 she went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana - Western in 2011. In Dillon she lived with her first of three golden retrievers, Splash, in her own little home. She began her kindergarten teaching career at Potomac School and immediately demonstrated what a dedicated and caring teacher she would be. After three years in Potomac, she landed her dream job as a kindergarten teacher in her childhood elementary school in Frenchtown. While teaching at Frenchtown she earned her master’s degree from Western Governors University in 2018. Justine adored all her students and every year invested her own money to ensure all her kiddos had what they needed to feel prepared, comfortable, and loved in her classroom. She bought food for the ones who needed it so they could take it home in the evenings and on the weekends. If their hygiene needs were not being met at home, she would stay in on her lunch hour to wash and fix their hair and make sure their teeth were brushed. Every child in her classroom knew they were important and mattered. Her style of encouraging and loving teaching produced students who looked forward to school every day. Her students loved caring for their class pet turtle, Bubbles. Even during distanced learning Justine’s students got to see Bubbles reading books to them and watching chicks hatching on livestream. Justine was deeply saddened when she had to leave her dream job two years into her cancer battle, but she continued to connect with her old students through cards, letters, and videos. When Justine was not putting her heart and soul into her kindergarten kiddos, she loved being outdoors and you could find her every summer and winter on a paddleboard, mountain bike, or cross-country skis. As a daughter, sister, friend, and dog momma, Justine was one of the most thoughtful and caring people, not to mention organized. As a child, she happily cleaned her older sister’s room when it got too messy. By sixth grade she had her own vacuum and would know if her room had been infiltrated if her vacuum marks had fresh footprints. She could spot a spider from a room away but would call her father or the neighbor to come kill it. She would leave her babysitting homes more immaculate than when she arrived. Her classroom was organized and inviting and a place where parents were thrilled to hear their child had been assigned. She was the first person to pop a thoughtful card or gift in the mail for a special achievement, even while she was undergoing her own treatment. Her golden retrievers, Splash, Zoot & Yeti, were the luckiest animals on the planet; they always had the best food, treats, toys, and beds, the most snuggles and attention and they loved their momma deeply. In her cancer years, she was admired for sharing her journey with brutal honesty, authenticity, and vulnerability while also finding all the silver linings and positivity she could. She started her journey clinging to the support groups for help and transformed into a huge supporter for others, gaining more friends than one thought possible. Her hope was that by sharing and supporting she could inspire others to do the same and make the world a better place, which she did without a doubt. She is survived by her parents, Kim and Kurt of Missoula and her sister Jen of Bend, OR. Her Aunts and Uncles, Roger and Nadine Davis (Spokane, WA), Ed and Jill Steffan (Helena, MT), Gary and Vicki Luebke (Fort Wayne, IN), Greg and Terry Luebke (Fort Wayne, IN). Cousins, Brandon and Lisa Davis (Spokane, WA), Kelsey Voss (Spokane, WA), Courtney James (Nashville, TN), Meagan Steffan (Helena, MT) and Molly Steffan (Helena, MT), Kris and Ashley Luebke (Fort Wayne, IN), Taylor and Julia Luebke (Port Huron, MI), and Rikki Luebke (Red Lodge, MT). A Celebration of Justine’s life will take place in the spring at Frenchtown Elementary, with a date to be determined. In celebration of her teaching legacy, we have started a Memorial Scholarship Fund to be awarded to a Frenchtown high school senior aspiring to be an educator. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Justine Luebke Memorial Scholarship Fund, which can be made payable to Justine Luebke Memorial Scholarship Fund, Frenchtown School District, PO Box 117, Frenchtown, MT 59834.