Mary Ann Fender

Mary Ann Fender, 74, of Bozeman, Montana, passed peacefully in her sleep on December 23, 2023. She was born on August 18, 1949, in Decatur, Indiana to Germaine (Geimer) and Ambrose Spangler. After graduating from Decatur Catholic High School in 1967 she went on to graduate from St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing. She would later receive her BS in Nursing from Wichita State University. After a short tenure at Decatur Memorial Hospital, Mary Ann joined the United States Air Force Medical Corps where she served for 20 years and rose to the rank of Major. After her retirement from the military, she and her husband, Dr. Tom Fender, moved to Bozeman where she continued her career in medicine working at area clinics and hospitals. She loved her work, and she loved life in Bozeman, opting to remain after the passing of her beloved husband Tom in 1998.  

Mary was a deeply caring and spiritual person. She attended the Bozeman Seventh-Day Adventist Church and regularly attended her bible study group. She routinely prepared meals for the needy, taught after school literacy classes, as well as water aerobics. She spent her life in the service of others and will be greatly missed. She is survived by her brothers, Jim Spangler of Elgin, Illinois and Ed Spangler of Ogden, Utah and her sister Lou Frauhigher who resides in Decatur, Indiana. A service for her will be held Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 3PM at the Bozeman Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 24 N 15th Ave. Memories & condolences may be shared with the family at www.dahlcares.com.