Ingeborg "Inga" Morris-Connolly

Ingeborg, Inga Amanda Hellod Morris-Connolly, 103 years young, passed away peacefully in her sleep into Jesus open arms and into her heavenly home, with her loving daughter, Pat Strand, and dear friends Delores Seay and Marge Johnsten at her side, on Thursday, March 30, 2017 at The Grandview. She lived at The Grandview in Great Falls, MT, the past four years.Inga was a faithful Christian servant of God and her one and only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ingas Christian faith began at St. Olaf Lutheran Church just outside of Red Lodge, close to the familys homestead. At 17, Inga was confirmed in the Confirmation Class of 1930 by Pastor Davidson, at Zion Lutheran Church in Glendive. Inga and her family were members of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Great Falls, the American Lutheran Church in Billings, and Inga was a 56 year member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, in Great Falls. Inga touched many peoples hearts. Until recently, Inga still attended church faithfully every Sunday, quilting every Thursday, and her Circle Group the first Wednesday of each month.Inga was born near Red Lodge Creek at her Aunt Carrie Loynings log cabin on January 13, 1914, by Red Lodge, MT. When Inga was about 5 years old, her dad inherited the family farm in Norway, so the whole family moved back to Norway. They lived there about two and a half years, and during that time Ingas baby brother, Sigurd, was born. Ingas dad really missed America, so they moved back to Red Lodge, and then moved to Glendive.In the 30s and 40s Inga worked at the Jordan Hotel in Glendive, and at Coles Dept. Store in Billings. Inga and a friend owned the Red Lodge Tourist Park in Red Lodge in the 1940s. Inga and Raymond Thomas Morris were married on Sept. 7, 1949. They had two children, Robert (Bob) Leroy Morris (Ingas stepson) and Patricia (Pat) Ann Morris Strand. Inga and Ray owned and operated Morris Grocery and Service on the corner of 21st St. N. and 2nd Ave. N. in Great Falls. They moved to Billings in 1951, where Inga was a homemaker and wonderful mother! Then Inga and her family moved back to Great Falls in 1961, where she worked at the Rainbow Hotel as a switchboard operator and at the Great Falls Tribune. On June 26, 1964, Inga and Ray opened Rays Pianos and Organs originally at 1017 10th Ave. S., and later moved the store to 806 Central Ave., in Great Falls. Ray passed away in 1980, and Inga continued running the store a couple more years before retiring.Not one to sit still after retiring, Inga LOVED dancing and started a dancing group called 45 Plus. Inga also LOVED fishing and continued to go fishing after Ray passed away, taking her two grandsons, Greg and Tim, in her RV and boat to Hauser Lake. She was a good fisherman and canned a lot of the fish she caught, and used some of the canned fish for sandwiches for the luncheons for 45 Plus.With doctors orders that Inga could no longer work in her flower gardens at her home that she dearly loved, due to arthritis, at 90 years old, Inga moved out of her home of 43 years to assisted living at The Lodge, where she met Guy W. Connolly, Jr. They started having devotions together in the morning after breakfast, became very good friends, fell in love and then married on April 16, 2005, when Inga was 91 and Guy was 85. Guy passed away Jan. 3, 2009.The year leading up to Inga becoming a Centenarian, she had five celebrations, including one special 100th Birthday party where 14 relatives and friends from Norway came to help her celebrate! She especially enjoyed dancing at three of the parties. At those celebrations she received personal greetings from His Majesty, King Harald R of Norway, U.S. President and Michelle Obama, MT Gov. Steve Bullock and Mayor Michael J. Winters of Great Falls, MT.Inga is survived by her daughter, Pat Strand of Great Falls; stepson Bob (Gail) Morris of Ulm; three grandsons, Greg (Diana) Strand of Rochester, NY, Tim (Nicole) Strand of Bozeman, and Jeff (Carrie) Thompson of Kalispell; ten great-grandchildren, Adam, Audrey, Rogen, and Tragen Strand, Shaynne, Skyleigh, Gunnar, and Anders Thompson, Hunter and Colt McGillvray; five nieces; four nephews; and many relatives in both the U.S. and Norway.Inga was preceded in death by her husbands, Ray Morris and Guy W. Connolly, Jr.; grandparents Daniel Sjurson Hedlot and Ane Assersdotter Hedlot; parents Sam Hellod and Thora Olava Hellod Loyning Ellison; two brothers, Stanley D. Hellod and Sigurd Hellod; son-in-law Kenneth L. Strand; and granddaughter, Lisa Sue Strand.Special thanks to Pastor Ken Waag, Hospice, John Wallace, Dave Krebs, Michael Plovanic, Wendy Smith, Joslyn Ouellette, Vicky Williamson, The Grandview and staff, Benefis Healthcare 6th Floor Nurse Megan Schermele and staff, Karl and Amy Dorr, Delores Seay, Mim and Andrea Mikulecky and Marge Johnsten, who were all a special blessing to Inga!!!A memorial service will be Palm Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church with Pastor Scott Hedegaard and Pastor Ken Waag officiating. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Memorials suggested to Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hospice or donors choice.