Obituary of Marjorie Ellen Montaney

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that her family announce the passing of Marjorie Ellen Chapman Montaney, 84, of Maple Valley, WA, who died May 27, 2017, at home after “a truly long, long goodbye”. Marjorie was born Friday, April 28, 1933 in the town of Kinder, LA. She was the second of eight children raised by her parents Lindsey and Florence Chapman. They lived near the Cow Bayou in Indian Village. After graduating high school, Marjorie attended Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans. Graduating at the top of her class, she worked at Charity Hospital for over a year, then was offered a position at Group Health Hospital in Seattle, WA. The very day Marj arrived in Seattle, she met the man she would marry and spend the next 55 years with. Thomas Gray Montaney was a handsome young man just out of the Air Force and working for the Boeing Company. The two were married in 1957, making their home in Maple Valley, WA for the next 45 years and raising three daughters. Marj enjoyed a busy life working as a registered nurse for 40 years. She also enjoyed sewing beautiful dresses for her daughters, gardening, reading and baking. Most of all, Marjorie enjoyed serving the Lord Jesus Christ and her husband Tom. She attended church regularly and always put the Lord first in her life. Marj raised her children with the strong Christian values her parents had raised her with. Marjorie’s retirement was spent traveling and hiking with family and friends for several years. In 2003, Tom and Marj moved to Chewelah, WA where they bought a quaint log cabin on 20 acres. There, Marjorie enjoyed gardening and relaxing in a small town setting. Marjorie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2006. With her life changing day by day and Alzheimer’s stealing her memories, Marj never gave up hope or her love of the Lord. She was cared for by her husband Tom for several years until his passing in 2012. After that, her daughters cared for Marjorie full-time in their homes with much support from their husbands. Marjorie is survived by her three loving daughters, Jane (Craig) Martin of Chewelah, WA, Jean (Kevin) Sloan of Maple Valley, WA and Julie (Dino) Pedrini of Shelton, WA; four brothers, Clyde Chapman (Margie) of Iowa, LA, John "JB" Chapman of Hemphill, TX, Lynn Chapman of Hemphill, TX, and Terry (Robin) Chapman of Singer, LA; two sisters, Martha Granger of Sulphur, LA, and Deanie (Elroy) Sittig of Fenton, LA; eight grandchildren, Jessica and Casey Martin, Cooper, Riley and Jenna Sloan, Kayne, Korbin and Kara-Ann Pedrini; and her 7 great grandchildren. Besides her parents, Marjorie was preceded in death by her brother, Stanley “Carol” Chapman, and her loving husband Thomas Gray Montaney.