Rochelle Marie (Barlau) Hartman, age 51 of Rexford, Montana, passed away on June 28, 2024. She was born on November 17, 1972, to Kenneth and Diane (Leisso) Barlau at the Watertown Hospital in Watertown, Minnesota.

Rochelle grew up on a small farm just outside of Delano, Minnesota. She attended Mt. Olive Lutheran School for elementary and would later graduate from Delano High School in 1991. She would go on to further her education at Hennepin County Community College. While there, she received a summer job working in the Glacier National Park. She quickly fell in love with the area and decided to move permanently.

After working a few different jobs, she decided to go back to school at Kalispell Community college and transferred to Montana State University in Billings, Montana where she received two bachelor’s degrees in education and special education. She would later attain her master’s degree from a university in Arizona.

Rochelle also spent one summer in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, at a fish canning company. Before coming back from Alaska, she hiked and toured the area, exploring the Denali National Park.

She would meet the love of her life, Larry Hartman, at Big Mountain Sky Resort, where she was learning to downhill ski. They were wed on the shores of Glacier National Park on April 28, 2001.

Rochelle taught in the Eureka, Montana school district for many years. She also taught in Sandpoint, Idaho, Yuma, Arizona, Twin Falls, Idaho, and Idaho Falls, Idaho. In later years, she spent another year working at Glacier National Park as an interpretive park ranger, and as manager of the tourist information office. She loved working at the park and was proud of her role as park ranger.

Larry and Rochelle loved to ski and hike together. Their passions took them on many travels, often involving national parks, including many western US states, Hawaii and New Zealand.

Ro was always an inside girl, and not the “outdoorsy” type. This all changed when she met Larry. She developed new interests and hobbies, including rafting, skiing, fishing, hiking, among other things. She loved her nieces and nephews, and always treated them as her own children.

Rochelle is preceded in death by her husband of 19 years, Larry; her father Kenneth Barlau; as well as many relatives. She is survived by her mother Diane; brother Lee (Angie) Barlau; as well as many nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins, and friends.

From the family of Rochelle, thank you to all of her friends and family that were there for her throughout her life. God Bless You All.

A private celebration of life will be held at a later date in Montana.