Mary Meng: August 16,1924- September 22, 2026

Mary Meng (age102) was born on the family farm in rural Illinois to Margaret and Frank Wood near Greenfield, IL in 1924. She was the youngest of five children and thought nothing about the inconvenience of no running water or electricity until the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. Her oldest brother wired the farmhouse at this time to upgrade the living standard even though it was during the depression. Mary carried the depression area frugality with her throughout her lifetime.

Fond childhood memories included swimming in the small lake on the farm, riding behind her older brother on his Indian Motorcycle (she had a leather helmet) and leading the family mule, Gypsy into the barn while pulling the hay sled. She said her dad purchased the mule from "Gypsies" who occasionally traveled through the area. In order to attend High School, Mary and her best friend stayed at a boarding house near town and truly did ride their horses to school every day.

In high school, Mary met the love of her life Bill Meng, two years older than her, and were engaged in her senior year. She was in shorthand class when President Roosevelt spoke after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The class recorded his speech on the radio in shorthand and Bill was soon off to the war effort in the Pacific Theater. After graduation she started secretarial school in St. Louis, Missouri and worked part time for the Case Tractor Company. She apparently did well and was soon hired full-time for the job she kept while Bill was overseas. When Bill returned to the states, they were married June 9,1945. Mary did similar secretarial work in California while Bill was stationed as a radio mechanic at Mather Field.

After returning to their hometown of Greenfield, IL, their first child Kent was born in 1948 followed by Vince in 1952. Mary was a homemaker and consummate volunteer during the boys' younger years as a Boy Scout den mother, room mother, active in the American legion Auxiliary, and long-term active member of the First United Methodist Church. When her sons reached high school age she started working as a medical secretary for the local medical clinic. She always stressed the importance of her sons attending college. Fortunately, they both followed through and beyond. After Bill retired from the Post Office as a rural letter carrier, they moved to a nearby town with a swimming pool. This activity continued into her nineties that she coupled with daily walking. In retirement she was the queen of cinnamon rolls that she shared with neighbors wherever they lived. She and Bill moved to Missoula to be near family in 1991. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1992, and the family still thanks her physicians Dr. Jenny Murney and surgeon Dr. Brad Pickhardt for giving her 33 more years of life as a cancer survivor. Bill passed away in 2013 at age 91 and she moved to the Beehive Homes in September 2025 for assisted living. This was a godsend for her final year of life to have prepared meals and activities. Covid was very traumatic isolation for a person in their 90's but Mary took this in stride. She commented once during covid stating that when their family farm flooded in their childhood, her dad went to check the crops and reported "we lost everything, but I still have all of you." This attitude shaped her 102 glorious years.

She is survived by sons Kent Meng (Loretta), Vince Meng (Sue), grandchildren Joe Meng (Minde), Kristi Carlson (Tyler), Graham Meng (Melissa), Gharett Meng (Danica), Jace Meng (Mesa), and great-grandchildren Fletcher, Wyatt, Kennedy, Nell, Hannah, Owen, Milo, and Finley.

A memorial service is being planned for a later date.