Early Thursday morning, Jan. 6, 2005, our wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mary Kay Decker, 78, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings following a lengthy illness. Mary Kay was born on June 1, 1926, in Williston, N.D., the daughter of William D. (Bill) and Kathryn (Grinager) Archibald.

Mary Kay lived in Jamestown, N.D., Tulsa, Okla., Helena, Mont., and Sheridan, Wyo. She graduated from Sheridan High School in 1944. Mary Kay attended Stephens College in Columbia, Mo. She continued her education at MSU in Bozeman, graduating in 1950, with a degree in business and accounting. During this time, Mary Kay was crowned Queen of the Sheridan Rodeo.

On Sept. 17, 1947, Mary Kay was united in marriage to Peter Decker in Sheridan, Wyo.

She loved playing bridge, golfing, boating, dining out, traveling, and most of all spending time on the front porch of their lake home on Lake Melissa near Detroit Lakes, Minn. Upon Pete's retirement in 1989, they wintered in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and La Jolla, Calif. Mary Kay was an excellent cook and prepared numerous gourmet meals for family and friends. She was an active member of P.E.O, Chapter S., Junior League and AAUW.

Mary Kay is survived by her husband, Pete; children: Karen (Jake) Boyer, Ken Decker, Susan (Rue) Liggett, Steve Decker, John (Claudia) Decker; grandchildren: Tim Hofferber, Jens (Terri) Bruhaug, Anne (Craig) Zarkos, Adam and Laura Decker, Jon Silitti, and Paul (Romita) Silitti; and great-granddaughter Kirsten Bruhaug.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother William K. (Bill) Archibald.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Ben Marchello, Dr. Roland Pederson, and the caring and compassionate staff at St. Vincent Healthcare Center. Special thanks also to her doctor at the Lake, Dr. Ralph Levitt.

Memorial services for Mary Kay will be held at the First Congregational Church, 310 N. 27th Street, on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 1:30 p.m. A reception will follow.

Memorials may be made to the Shriner's Hospital, Al Bedoo Temple, Box 20673, Billings, MT 59104-0673; the Mary Kay Decker Scholarship Fund at Rocky Mountain College, 1511 Poly Drive, Billings, MT 59102; or to the charity of one's choice.