MARY K. McDONALD

Cantwell resident Mrs. Mary Kathryn McDonald, 68, died of cancer Jan. 16, 2004, at Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage.

A celebration of her life was held Saturday at 3 p.m. in Cantwell at the Cantwell Lodge. Another gathering is planned for spring at a date to be announced.

Mrs. McDonald was born Aug. 6, 1935, in Missoula, Mont.

She moved to Alaska in 1974.

Mrs. McDonald cooked for Exxon field exploration crew when she came to Alaska in 1974. She worked at J.C. Penney's in Anchorage from 1974 to 1976, at which time she and her husband moved to the Denali Highway and worked at several lodges in and near the park. From 1982 to 1994, Mrs. McDonald worked for Valdez Creek Mining Company. During that time she was supervisor of free gold recovery. She supervised construction of Valdez Creek Mining Company's mammoth sluice box equipment. She retired from the Valdez Creek Mining Company at the end of 1994.

Mrs. McDonald was a Christian filled with joy. Her hobbies included dog mushing, berry picking, trapping, flying, hunting, fishing, helping and making new friends, hiking, sewing garments and furs, knitting, crocheting, cooking, skiing, growing healthy vegetable and flower gardens, basketry and quilting.

Her family wrote, "Mary was the most loving, caring, understanding, considerate, compassionate mother in the world for her two daughters. She was a wonderful listener and she gave wise, honest, thoughtful advice. Mary was respected for her outdoor skills, ability to trap wolves, getting a grizzly with a .243, and independence."

Mrs. McDonald was preceded in death by her husband Don Neumann, in 2001, and by her parents Isabelle Johnson and Robert Strong.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law Belinda and Samir Abdulmajid of Portland, Ore., and Betsy and Mark Gerlach of Greenough, Mont.; grandchildren Stephanie, Alexander, Jordan, Matthew, Sophia and Zachariah Abdulmajid of Portland, and Alexa and Gretchen Gerlach of Greenough, Mont.; brothers Ray Johnson and Sonny Johnson; and sister Rita Maier.

Arrangements were made by Valley Funeral Home & Crematory in Wasilla.