Mary Ann Ann (Kinney) Kinney Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Mary Ann Kinney (Great Falls, Montana), who passed away on February 6, 2019, at the age of 82, leaving to mourn family and friends. Mary Ann was born on August 13th 1936 in Bocolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippine Islands, to Addison A. Kinney and Anita J. Wuthrich-Kinney. She was their third child, joining siblings, Ruth Katherine and William Adelbert, and ahead of Franklin Alexander, and Claire Leilani.
Mary Ann's childhood was marred by the untimely death of her father, and the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during WWII. Looking for a new start, her mother brought her children to the U.S., where her husband's family would help her raise them. The family arrived in San Francisco in 1945, with Mary Ann turning nine on the boat.
They settled in Richmond CA, and Mary Ann lived there until moving to Oakland in her early 20's. She attended beauty school, and went on to graduate to become a cosmetologist. There she also met Dean Edwards, at a boarding house where they both were staying.
They were married in January of 1966, and moved to Great Falls, MT. She worked as a housekeeper at the O'Haire Manor, and in the laundry at the Cascade County Convalescent Nursing Home. In 1970, she and Dean had their only child, Darla.
In 1972, they moved to Butte MT for Dean's job with ARCO. She and Dean divorced in 1982. She remained in Butte until 1997, when she moved back to Great Falls.
She suffered a debilitating stroke in February of 2010, and spent the last nine years of her life at Benefis Skilled Nursing Center. She died of pneumonia as a result of complications from her original stroke. The staff there took excellent care of Mary Ann.
Mary Ann's favorite color was turquoise, her favorite thing to do was watch "The Way We Were" and "The Sound of Music". She loved music and listening to Streisand and Sinatra, and Leeann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" was one of her favorite songs. She had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed a good laugh.
She LOVED GOD, and taught her daughter to pray the Lord's Prayer when she was two years old, and prayed with her every night before bed. Mary Ann was a very courageous person and she faced every day with a fierce love for life, and an unsinkable spirit. She is survived by her daughter, that she placed for adoption as an infant, Lisa Kirk, of Bethel Island, CA, daughter Darla Glibbery, son-in-law, Paul, granddaughter Aurora Ellington, grandsons Emery Logan Croft and Quincy Croft, all of Billings MT, her sister Ruth (George) Guittard of Cupertino CA nieces Nancy (Gary) Guittard-Flores and Jill Kinney-Andre both of CA, nephews George Guittard, Larry (Robin) Guittard, Jimmy McCowan, and Craig (Lisa) Kinney all of CA.
Many great nieces and nephews, as well. Mary Ann is preceded in death by a granddaughter, Cheryl Ann Macey, her father, Addison, her mother Anita, her sister Leilani, her brothers William and Frank, a niece, Charise McCowan-Kappl. Mary Ann was a member of the Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall in Great Falls.
