The world became a brighter place on June 21, 1931, when Mary Joan Kendall was born in Sidney, Montana.

Mary sadly passed away at 92 on Friday, August 11, 2023, after a long and happy life. She will be sorely missed by her family and friends.

Mary was the second child of Clyde and Alice Kendall who had homesteaded in Eastern Montana back in the early 1900’s. She had an older brother, Robert (Bob), and a younger sister Lenna. She graduated from Sidney Senior High School in 1949 and then went to college at MSU Bozeman in the nursing program. She took her second year of training in Great Falls where she met this handsome Air Force guy (her future husband Bill Forrester) on a blind date. They dated for the next 6 months and married on July 6, 1951. Bill Jr. was born in April 1952 and Bill Sr. got orders for Alaska shortly thereafter. He spent two years there with Mary back in Sidney with her mother and sister raising Bill Jr. Mary’s second son Kevin joined the family in 1957 and after that there would be no more children!

Mary’s pride and joy was her family – being involved in all their activities, watching from the sidelines at sporting events, helping with the Cub Scouts, volunteering at church functions and making treats for special events. She was a member of the Jayceen’s (women’s service organization), worked on the elections staff, played lots of bridge well into her nineties and volunteered at the hospital gift shop.

Mary’s true passion was cooking and baking for family and friends. She was truly at home in her kitchen and doing what she loved. Many daughters-in-law have her handwritten recipe cards tucked in their recipe boxes at home. She always had tasty goodies on hand for visitors and friends/schoolmates of her boys. They would all come by to sample them on the way home from school or if they needed a sweet treat. No one ever left hungry after visiting the Forrester house!

Mary is survived by her beloved husband of 72 years, Bill Forrester; her sons Bill Jr. (Nancy) of Folsom CA and Kevin (Zeus) of Seattle WA; four grandchildren Nichole (Scott) Hoffman of Iowa City IA, Marc (Brooke) Forrester of Lee’s Summit MO, Cole Forrester of Burnsville MN, and Reece (Carrie) Forrester of Shakopee MN; six great grandchildren Jackson, Holden, Nevaeh, Lily, Cora and Isla; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents Clyde and Alice; her brother Bob Kendall and his wife Lucille; and her sister Lenna Simard and her husband Bob.