Connie Niebel Townsend was born May 18, 1932 in Bozeman, Montana – the eldest of four children born to George and Mildred Niebel. She grew up on a ranch near the Gallatin River and attended the Monforton two room country schoolhouse, graduating from Gallatin County High School. At Montana State College she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and earned a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics.
As a member of the Grand Avenue Christian Church in Bozeman, she met the love of her life, Herb Townsend in their fourth-grade Sunday School Class. Herb and Connie married in 1954 and lived in Whitehall for a year. They then moved to Hamilton where Connie worked as the City Reporter for the Ravalli Daily Republican newspaper.
In the Fall of 1956, Herb and Connie moved to White Sulphur Springs with a short stint in Bozeman during 1960. Upon return to Meagher County, Herb and Connie moved to the Willow Creek Ranch where they lived for 27 years and raised their three children: Tod, Trent, and Teri. They then moved to the home built on 4-Mile Creek where they lived for 24 years before moving down to the “flat lands” on Highway 360.
In 1975, Connie was elected state President of the Montana CowBelles and in 1980, she was elected as the American National Cattlewomen President with a membership of nearly 20,0000. She spent 256 days of that year visiting nearly every state promoting beef, based from the national office in Denver.
She then served on the National Livestock and Meat Board in Chicago and as a member of the National Livestock Marketing organization in Kansas City. This was followed by a two-year term as Secretary for the National Agriculture Day program headquartered in Washington D.C. In 1985, Connie was recognized as an “Ag Educator of the Year” by Alpha Zeta at MSU and in 1986, she was one of two who received prestigious “Blue and Gold Award” from Montana State University. She was honored as the “Montana Ranch Woman of the Year” in 2017 by the Montana Stockgrowers Association.
Together with Dr. Dennis Winters of Washington D.C. and Michelle LeFurge, Herb and Connie formed “Montana Market Development” which specialized in market research, leadership training and economic development. It was headquartered in Butte, and she served as Vice President. In 1986, Connie began work across the state as Executive Director of the Montana Beef Council, commuting rain or shine to Helena every day for 11 years where her office and staff were located. She retired in 1997 spending over 25 years of her life directly advocating for the beef industry.
She was a founder of the Ag in Montana Schools program and served as President in its early years. Locally, Connie, together with Bonnie Gebhardt, Karen Coleman and Nancy Schlepp, founded the Meagher County Nutrition Coalition, which was responsible for establishing a school breakfast program, school backpack program, organizing the Meagher County Food Bank and for a few years delivering “Meals on Wheels” to the needy on weekends. Connie was a 4-H leader for 10 years, an active member of the Eastern Star, and taught Sunday School at the Presbyterian Church for 12 years.
In her personal life, she beamed with pride while hosting 4th of July family picnics, trips to Apgar in Glacier National Park, Bridge Club, and big neighborhood brandings. Her childhood love of horses led to a lifetime of gathering cattle, buggy and sleigh rides. In her 93rd year, she could still be seen leading the cattle drive and waving her red flag warning the oncoming summer traffic. While thoroughly enjoying the winter months in Hawaii after retirement, Connie’s great love of the Montana land and mountains, flowers, and gardening, afforded a complete devotion to a lifetime of cattle ranching, surrounded by her beloved children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Connie is survived by brother George Niebel, brother-in-law Frank Carter, numerous nieces and nephews in addition to her immediate family of sons Tod (Jane) Townsend and Trent (Connie) Townsend, daughter Teri (Mark) Ogle, grandchildren Will (Shoni) Townsend, Clive Townsend, Becky (Josh) Middleton, Megan Ogle, Caden Ogle and great-grandchildren Ember, Henry, Hazel, Rex, and Josie.
After an incredible lifetime of boundless energy, unwavering strength and unmatched devotion, she joins Herb, her beloved husband of 71 years.
A 1pm Funeral Service will take place on Saturday, November 22, 2025 at Mountainview Community Church, 16 E Alabama Street, White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645. Following the funeral service, burial will be at Mayn Cemetery, 4108 US-12, White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645. A reception will gather at the Senior Center, 101 1st Ave. SE, White Sulphur Springs, MT 59645, following the graveside service. Condolences can be shared at www.stevensonwilke.com.
Service Schedule
Funeral Service
1:00pm
Saturday November 22, 2025
Mountainview Community Church
16 E Alabama Street
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
Burial
Following the Funeral Service
Saturday November 22, 2025
Mayn Cemetery
4108 US-12
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
Reception
Following the Graveside Service
Saturday November 22, 2025
Meagher County Community Center
101 1st Ave SE
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
Service Schedule
Funeral Service
1:00pm
Saturday November 22, 2025
Mountainview Community Church
16 E Alabama Street
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
Burial
Following the Funeral Service
Saturday November 22, 2025
Mayn Cemetery
4108 US-12
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
Reception
Following the Graveside Service
Saturday November 22, 2025
Meagher County Community Center
101 1st Ave SE
White Sulphur Springs, Montana 59645
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Michelle LeFurge says
When you think of Connie, you are caught by the strength and determination she brought to everything she did. Snow and ice at Deep Creek never stopped her from winter trips into work at the Montana Beef Council. Learning something new was always an assumption when she confronted a new perspective or a new reality. Those situations were an invitation to “do something about it.” If Connie believed it would help her community–whether local, state, or national–she was often found leading the charge. I am grateful to have known Connie for 39 years. It is a structural shift in my life to not have Connie and Herb in the world. A bulwark gone, one that framed my love of Montana and my years of work there with them.
Jody Wills says
A Gallatin Valley child grew up knowing the Niebel family led to a great respect for Gonnie. I first became a CowBelle when she was president and she was one of the best presidents the organization ever had. She always had time to help in anyway which would promote the best of the world BEEF! She and Herb would be the first people you looked for when attending StockGrower or CattleWomen events. When she was the national president she was in New York and the cab driver asked her why she was there and she mentioned CowBelles–he thought she was in a band. It was after this CowBelles became a more professional name CattleWomen. Such a strong leader. I credit her for my active life in my local CattleWo’men group and state organization. Such a lady.