Mary Ellen Monforton, 80
Mary Ellen Monforton, 80, peacefully went to be with our Heavenly Father on Aug. 21, 2024, in Whitefish, surrounded by her beloved husband and sons after a long courageous battle with cancer.
She was born to Laurence McCalla and Carolyn Butin on June 15, 1944, in Memphis, Tennessee. A woman of many talents and deep faith, she pursued her passions for art and music, earning her degree from Memphis State University before becoming a high school art and choir teacher in Memphis. Her dedication to nurturing creativity in her students was a hallmark of her career, and she carried her love for the arts throughout her life.
In the early 1980s, Mary and her family moved across the country to the Flathead Valley. It was there, in the fall of 1985, that she met the love of her life, Gerald Monforton, at church. Their connection was immediate, and they were married just two months later, on Nov. 23, 1985.
With her marriage, Mary embraced Gerald's young sons — Matthew, Jason, and Tim — as her own, loving them deeply from the moment they met. Later, she and Gerald welcomed two more sons, Andrew and Daniel, whom she loved dearly. She wholeheartedly devoted herself to being a loving and nurturing mother.
A faithful and loving wife, the mother of five boys, and a devoted follower of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Mary will always be remembered as the kindest, strongest, and most loving person by those who knew her.
Mary’s faith was the cornerstone of her life. She believed what the Bible teaches: that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. By faith, she came to believe that Christ had forgiven all of her sins — past, present, and future — that she had been born again, as written in John Chapter 3, and that she had been adopted into the royal family of God, securing her a place in Heaven for all eternity.
Known for her gentle, kind spirit, Mary exemplified Christ’s love in everything she did. She spoke with consideration and grace to everyone she met, and her strength, both in faith and in her battle with cancer, was a testament to her character.
She is survived by her husband, Gerald and her sons, Matthew, Jason, Andrew, and Daniel.
She will be remembered for her kind and loving nature, her creativity, her unwavering faith, and her eternal hope in Jesus Christ.