Mary Laird

Mary (Nemec) Laird, 94, of Bozeman and formerly of Great Falls, died on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at a Bozeman care facility of natural causes.A memorial service will be held at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Mary was born April 5, 1918 in Sand Coulee, Montana. She graduated from Centerville High School in 1936. She then attended the Great Falls Commercial College. Mary worked for J. H. Corcoran, attorney, John McLaughlin Real Estate, and the Rain and Hail Insurance Bureau until she married John (Jack) Laird on March 12, 1949. They raised three children and Mary worked for fourteen years at the First Liberty Credit Union. She enjoyed sewing, knitting, crocheting and every summer she grew a big vegetable garden and beautiful flowers. Going fishing with her husband was also something she loved to do.Mary volunteered for years at the Red Cross Blood Bank, served at Holy Family funeral receptions, and also helped at the State Fair Flower Exhibit. Mary kept up with her home in Great Falls until she was 86; doing her own gardening, snow shoveling, and lawn mowing. She has been in Bozeman for the past 7years; two years at Spring Meadows Assisted Living and five and one-half years at the Gallatin Rest Home where a very loving staff took very good care of her.Mary is survived by her son, John (Shirley) Laird of Billings; daughters, Meg Laird of Billings and Kathy (Mike) Pollard of Belgrade; a sister, Margaret Manfred of Billings; grandsons, Mark (Anna) Radcliffe of Belegrade and Jason Laird of Billings; two great-grandsons, Ivar and Iain Radcliffe.She was preceded in death by her husband John Jack Laird, on May 20, 1991; her mother and father, John and Mary Nemec; and brothers John, Mike and Andy Nemec.