Joanne Forney Obituary

On Saturday, Jan. 24, 2004, Joanne Marie Forney, 46, passed away in her home in Billings, from cancer. She was born July 4, 1957, in Sheridan, Wyo., to Richard L. and Mary L. (George) Chatham. She graduated from Lodge Grass High School in 1975. On Oct. 18, 1979, she was united in marriage to Shane Forney in Hardin. They later divorced.
Joanne worked for the professional nursing pool and was a very caring and gentle caregiver. Joanne worked with the Miss Montana Pageant. Her role as mother was her greatest accomplishment. She was interested in everything her children did, from attending all their musical events to being a #1 Soccer Mom. She was a great advocate for children, people in need, and animals. She loved her pets, Snoopy and Sniffer.
Joanne enjoyed interior decorating, working in her yard, and was an excellent cook. Her sense of humor and kind and gentle personality will be missed by all who knew her.
Joanne is survived by her two children, Monica Monét and Brenton Michael Forney; mother, Mary of Lodge Grass; grandmother Lillian Chatham of Hardin; sisters, Connie (Bruce) Lowe of Buffalo, Wyo., Sherri Chatham of Boise, Idaho, Rachel Davis of Parkman, Wyo.; brother, Richard (René) Chatham of Colorado Springs, Colo.; five nieces, three nephews and three great-nieces and nephews; very dear and special close friend, Connie Rasmussen.
Joanne is preceded in death by her father, Richard; her grandparents, Albert and Ethel George, and Luther Chatham.
Visitation will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at the Dahl Chapel. Funeral services for Joanne will be 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29, at the Dahl Funeral Chapel. Her ashes will be scattered like her father's, in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. Memorials may be made to the Joanne Forney Children's Fund, First Interstate Bank, PO Box 30798, Billings, MT 59107-9800.