Mary Elizabeth Koontz, 86, died Monday at her Clarkston home. She leaves behind no surviving family members.
Mary was born Aug. 25, 1927, at Harlowton, Mont., to William and Mildred (Mounce) Polmans.
When she was about 3 years old she moved to a ranch near Winchester, before moving to a ranch near Reubens just a few years later. She attended school in Winchester and Reubens.
Mary moved to Lewiston and worked as a waitress at the Raymond Hotel Coffee Shop and Majestic Cafe.
She and Tom Williams were married in 1949 and later divorced. Mary moved to Los Angeles in 1950, then went to work for Pacific Telephone Co. in 1951, where she remained employed before retiring in 1982.
On Feb. 28, 1957, she and Erwin Koontz were married in Las Vegas. After Erwin's death, Mary moved to Sacramento, Calif. Then in 1987, she moved back to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, where she has remained since.
Mary loved to read; you would often find her with a book in her hand. She loved to travel with guided tour groups, visiting most of the United States as well as many other countries.
In Mary's words, "I am so thankful to the Lord for giving me such a wonderful life."
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Erwin Koontz.
A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Normal Hill Cemetery. Malcom's Brower-Wann Funeral Home of Lewiston is in charge of the arrangements.
