Kay Coleen DeMeritt

Kay was born March 1, 1939, to Willis (Bud) and Marie (Wierenga) Holloway in Beloit, Kansas, joining her sister Marilyn. She lived on a farm near the small town of Ionia until 1950 when the family moved to Beloit. After graduating from Beloit High School in 1957, she attended Fort Hays Kansas State College completing a one-year business course.

Kay and Jim Gengler were married in Kansas, and while enlisted in the Army, and stationed in Alabama, their two children, Sherry and Steven, were born. Later, she and the children moved back to Kansas. After a vacation to visit friends she decided to move to Morenci, Michigan.

It was there that she met her second husband, Lear DeMeritt. He moved to Columbia Falls, Montana but made frequent trips back to Morenci to visit family and friends. Kay and Lear married in Michigan and soon after the family moved to Columbia Falls in 1970.

Kay worked as a bookkeeper there, the last 19 years of her career for Schellinger Construction. She retired in 2009 and in 2012 moved to Bozeman to be closer to her daughter.

Kay enjoyed her retirement, having time to spoil her feline fur babies and explore her creative side. She spent many hours at her crafting desk coloring and creating original greeting cards, all under the supervision of her kitty critics: O’Malley, McFluffy and Sammy.

Kay is survived by her daughter Sherry Heis and her husband John Borkowski of Bozeman, son Steven Gengler and his wife Jessica Skare of Columbia Falls, grandchildren Adrian and Xaine and great-grandchildren Tabious and Miya.

Per Kay’s request no services will be held.