Marjorie MacDonald

M. Marjorie MacDonald, 89, passed away Sept. 10, 2014, in Kalispell.

Marjorie was born May 19, 1925, in Great Falls to George and Flossy Overose. She graduated from Great Falls High School and worked as a telephone operator at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

She married L. Clark MacDonald in 1946, and lived on a wheat farm on the Bootlegger Trail, north of Great Falls.

She worked hard as a farm wife, cooking for harvest crews and driving wheat trucks. She raised three daughters, and enjoyed sewing and making clothes for her daughters out of colorful printed wheat sacks. She was also an active member in the Olive Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and held several offices. She was a member of Daughters of the Nile.

After her divorce from Clark in 1974, she moved to Columbia Falls to be near her sister Ruth Kiser and brother Don Overose.

Starting in 1975, Marjorie worked for 12 years for the city of Columbia Falls as a police dispatcher and city clerk. She was secretary of the Volunteer Ambulance Association and was appointed city judge of Columbia Falls, retiring in 1987.

She met George Al Shay, city judge of Kalispell. She and Al enjoyed camping in their fifth wheel, wintering in Quartzsite, Ariz., and traveling to visit family and friends. They had more than 20 years together.

Marjorie was preceded in death by her parents George and Flossy Overose; L. Clark MacDonald; Al Shay; brothers Don Overose, Ted Overose and Robert Overose; sister Ruth Kiser; and grandson Trevor Mead.

She is survived by daughters Denise MacDonald, of Hungry Horse, Janice Gregory and partner Mike, of Portland, and Beverly Lagocki and husband Alan, of Meriden, Conn.; grandsons Scot Gregory, of Oregon, Justin Mead and Aaron Mead, of Bozeman, and Adam Lagocki, of Connecticut; granddaughter Candace Gregory, of Oregon; great grandsons Hayden and Damien Mead, of Belgrade; great granddaughters Amanda Prouty, of Florida, and Emma Gregory, of Oregon.

A graveside memorial service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls on Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, at 1 p.m. Lunch will be served at the Canyon Community Church Annex,185 Coram School Lane, in Coram following the service. Everyone is invited.