Captain Anne M. Rockeman Montgomery

Army aviator Captain Anne Rockeman Montgomery died Monday, Dec. 12, 2011 as the result of a helicopter training accident at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, WA. She was 25.

Anne was born Oct. 1, 1986 in Comayaguela, Honduras to Kurt Rockeman, a U.S. Foreign Service officer, and Kathleen Joslyn Rockeman. She grew up in Honduras, Somalia, Malawi, Mozambique, Ethiopia and graduated from high school in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Anne was a proud legal resident of North Dakota, though, and cherished many visits through the years with her extended family in McKenzie County, and near Donnybrook.

Anne attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and majored in foreign languages. Upon graduation in 2008 she was assigned to her passion: aviation. It was during flight training at Fort Rucker, AL, that she met fellow Army pilot CW2 Aaron H. “Monty” Montgomery. They were married on May 28 2010 in Alabama. In November 2010 they were posted to Joint Base Lewis-McChord where they both flew Kiowa OH-58 scout helicopters.

Anne is survived by her beloved husband, Monty, Tacoma; her parents, Kurt and Kathleen Rockeman, Nairobi, Kenya; brothers Gus and Christian, Nairobi; sister Geneva Rockeman, Springfield, MO; parents-in-law Levi (Cathy) Montgomery, Blaine, WA; uncles Keith Rockeman, Grassy Butte, ND; Ken (Becky) Rockeman, Big Timber, MT, Dale (Rodia) Joslyn, Austin, TX, Joseph (Bonnie) Joslyn, Madison, WI; Mark (Annette) Rockeman, Donnybrook, ND; aunts Kim (David) Proffitt, Mankato, MN; Carolyn (Robert) Neumann, Castroville, TX; Maureen (Dan) Pipinich, Honolulu, HA; grandmothers, Ivy Joslyn, Great Falls, MT, and Betty Stone-Chisholm, Hamilton, MT; great-aunts Connie Bruins, Watford City, ND, and Elvina Rockeman, Donnybrook, ND, and 20 cousins. Anne was preceded in death by her grandfathers, Lloyd Rockeman and Art Joslyn.

Annie was bright, brave, strong, loyal and generous — a credit to her family and her country. She was dearly loved and will be deeply missed. The family suggests memorials may be sent to the Wounded Warrior Project, a charity close to her soldier’s heart, at http://www.woundedwarrior.org.