Dawn Marie (Chase) Drew, 52

Dawn Marie (Chase) Drew, 52, of Great Falls passed peacefully "into the arms of her Lord" of a heart attack on the afternoon of Thursday, May 1, 2008, at a local nursing home. She had been in worsening health since suffering a heart attack and stroke the previous August.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at the Great Falls Christian Center. A reception will be afterward at the church. Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left online at www.schniderfuneralhome.com.

Dawn was born Sept., 20, 1955, in Great Falls. She attended St. Jude Elementary and graduated high school in Butte.

She married Donald Wolf, and they had three sons. They made their home in Havre and later divorced. Dawn worked in Billings for a time and finally settled with her boys in Great Falls. She was employed at Stanley Insurance for several years.

Having accepted Jesus Christ as savior, she began attending Cornerstone Community Church, pastored by Lee Barrows. Lee joined his fellowship with the Great Falls Christian Center in 1984. It was there that Dawn met Jim, and they married in May 1985. They were blessed with three more children.

Dawn ventured into many different areas of business during the next 20 years. For most of that time she owned Confection Corner and was known by her many friends and clients as "The Cake Lady." Her wedding cakes were legendary. She became interested in massage upon completing training and provided therapeutic treatment for so many. In 2005, she began as a jewelry adviser for Lia Sophia. She was a very successful salesperson and helped dozens of other ladies begin their own businesses. She had just been promoted to regional manager at the time of her death.

Dawn's love for people and outgoing personality made her a natural in all her ventures. She derived great pleasure in meeting and helping others. She took great pride in giving her best effort, whether baking and decorating cakes, providing the greatest of massages or helping clients select the just-right piece of jewelry.

She spent several years as part of the Toastmasters, developing greater confidence and skill in meeting people and public speaking. She thoroughly enjoyed the many friendships she made within that organization. She was so proud when daughter Kaytte followed by participating in the Toastmasters' Youth Program at East Middle School, even winning the best speaker award at the annual banquet.

Dawn and Jim were very active at the Great Falls Christian Center. She took immense joy in serving God there, in learning more of "his kingdom" and in worship. The numbers of lives she touched and influenced are beyond counting.

She excelled in hospitality. Her prowess as a cook was confirmed over and over as she prepared meals for most special functions and church ministries. She led the kitchen team for two years at the annual youth camp in Hungry Horse. She and Jim led home groups for several years. All that she did, she did "as unto the Lord."

Dawn had many hobbies and was competent at each one. She enjoyed gardening, painting, cooking, sewing and rearranging the furniture for Jim to trip over. There was so much to her life that this barely touches the half of it. But as much as she took pleasure in the businesses, the hobbies and her friendships, there was more that really defined her. She was a woman of family; time spent with her parents, brother and sister and other relatives; but especially in her children.

Dawn took great joy and comfort in her children and, eventually, in her grandchildren. Her care, devotion, pride, concern and prayers were there for all of them. It even extended to their friends from school and the neighborhood. She passed on to each family member a bit of herself, in shared hobbies or traits of personality; from Shad's love of cooking to Alex's sense of adventure, or Nathen and Justen's skill at crafts and construction to Megan's love for children. She cherished her time with them all, from a stint of home-schooling the boys to being a soccer mom for her girls.

She gave advice and training; opened her heart to her daughters-in-law and loved the young man soon to be her first son-in-law. The love and respect returned from Jen, Jamie and Michelle is testimony to Dawn's heart. Every grandchild was a treasure, and to watch her hold them and sing to them and smile at them brought a joy to all those around her. There were many hours spent after the barbecues just sitting outside talking, making and sharing memories. These were the things most important to her - her faith and her family.

Survivors include her husband, James Drew, of Great Falls; children, Shad and Jennifer Wolf, Nathen and Jamie Wolf, Justen and Michelle Wolf, Megan Drew, Katherine and Jimmy Shirley, and James "Alex" Drew, all of Great Falls; her parents, Don and Agnes Chase, of Butte; a brother, Dan, and Nedra Chase, of Butte; and a sister, Kim, and Bill Neuhardt, of Mill Creek, Wash.; her maternal grandmother, Mary Maloney Kinder, age 96, of Butte; seven grandchildren; and four nieces and nephews.

Dawn Marie Drew left many, many friends behind, and they and her family miss her greatly. "But for those of us in Christ, we know that this separation is but for a season and that we, too, will one day join her in eternity, with our savior, Jesus Christ. Her wish is that you would be there, too."

The family suggests memorials be given in her name to the GFCC Kitchen Fund. It was her desire to see the new kitchen in the Generation Center equipped properly, and her husband, who will have to cook in it, desires that too. Donations may be sent to GFCC, P.O. Box 6846, Great Falls, MT 59406.