Vivian J. Ward

Vivian J. Ward, age 88, of Livingston, died Saturday, February 23, 2013 at Livingston HealthCare. A gathering of friends and family will take place Thursday, February 28, at Franzen-Davis Funeral Home from 5-7 P.M. A Celebration of Vivian's Life will be held at the Franzen-Davis Chapel on Friday, March 1, 2 P.M., with Rev. Ed Parent officiating. Interment will follow the service at Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston. Vivian (Vivi) was born in Springhill Kansas just south of Olathe, the daughter of Joseph and Jesse DeNoon. She was the middle of three children, and was preceded in death by her sister, Wanda Freund of Gardner, Kansas, and her beloved brother, Glenn, of Olathe. Vivian received her primary and secondary education in Olathe, and was a graduate of Olathe High School. After graduation, she moved to Kansas City to pursue a career in Fashion Design. Vivian was a runway model for the exclusive Woolf Brothers Department Store, where she enjoyed working in the world of fashion. In the Spring of 1947 she met a dashing Navy seamen and air traffic controller, Navy ensign Merle Max Ward, who was stationed at the Olathe Naval Base. The two were married on April 2, 1948 by the Justice of the Peace in Olathe. Their honeymoon was a deployment to French Morocco. Vivian joined Max in his Navy travels residing in North Africa, Japan and Alaska. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Brian J & Keva S Ward. The couple and their two kids moved to Livingston, Montana in 1970. Max had grown up in Bozemen, and they returned to raise their children in Big Sky Country. They shared 42 years of marriage together, during which time they were briefly divorced from one another. When they remarried each other, they liked to say "Our divorce went on the rocks, so we had to get married!" Vivian was a homemaker, a church-member, an entrepreneur, and a good friend to many. She volunteered for several years as a Senior Companion, and received recognition for her service to her community in that way. She found much joy and pride and touched many lives until she retired from this service. Vivian became a member of the Church of Christ in 1968 and raised her kids in that faith. In recent years she has attended worship services at the Church of God in Christ. Her faith in God and relationship to her personal Savior, Jesus Christ, were sustaining to her, and a source of great comfort. Second only to her faith in God, Vivi loved her country, and was a devoted patriot and believer in the Constitution of the United States. Vivian enjoyed a good book, a good debate, and a good meal. She was a wonderful cook, a gracious hostess, and a good conversationalist. Her sense of humor and wit were ever-present, and she always said what was on her mind. She was deeply involved in the movement toward better, natural nutrition, and was a proponent of healthy eating and consistent exercise. She credits her healthy living with giving her such a long, enjoyable life. She especially enjoyed spending time with her family, grandchildren and friends. She was blessed to have her son, Brian, and his family nearby since 1989. She watched her five grandchildren grow up here, and was so proud of them all. Vivian passed away on Saturday, January 23 at Livingston Memorial Hospital after a long and valiant struggle with cancer. She had been tenderly cared for in her final days by her son and granddaughters, and was comforted by her son and daughter-in-law at her passing. Vivi was 88 years old. All who knew her were blessed by her life touching theirs. Vivian is survived by her immediate family, including: her son, Brian Ward, and his wife,Teresa, of Livingston, and her daughter, Keva Ward and her partner Stacey Hodge, of Dallas, Texas; her granddaughter Casey Ward Smolenski and her husband Peter Smolenski of Billings and their two daughters Cadence Lynn and Kyree Ann; her grandson Evan Ward and his wife Morgan of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and her grandaughters Cally Jane Ward of Seattle, Kelsey Ann Ward and Zach Valeriano of Livingston, and Kari Sue Ward of Livingston, and Mitchell Gadbury of Bozeman, and her cousin Judy DeNoon, of Olathe, Kansas who has been a constant friend and confidant for over thirty years. Vivi leaves several other close friends who blessed her life deeply. Vivian is preceded in death by parents Joe and Jesse DeNoon, her siblings, Wanda Freund and Glenn DeNoon, and her husband Max Ward. Arrangements under the direction of Franzen-Davis Funeral home and crematory in Livingston.