May Stella Malinski was born June 7, 1923, on the family farm near Sykeston, North Dakota, the daughter of Joseph and Victoria Fryze Malinski. May lived an amazing life and accomplished much during her 86 years. She attended Hebron Consolidated School and graduated from Carrington High School and Mayville State College. For several years she taught school at rural Bloom Township, North Dakota. May proudly served her country in the U.S. Navy during World War II. She managed the Sears Roebuck stores in Jamestown, North Dakota and Glendive, Montana. She later moved to Billings, Montana where she worked as a CPA for Peat Marwick and Mitchell and was a bookkeeper for several small businesses. She married Ray Jenkins in 1956. In 1970, she was elected County Treasurer of Yellowstone County and served five terms before retiring after 19 years to spend time with her grand children who were the light of her life. May loved to garden, cook and entertain. Her home was always the family gathering spot for every holiday meal over the years.

May was a member of First United Methodist Church in Billings, Montana, where she taught Sunday school and was very active in her daughters’ MYF groups and their high school church choir, His Ambassadors. Becoming a second mother to many of the church youth, May was affectionately known as “Mom May”. She was also very involved in her daughters’ work with the Rainbow Girls service organization and was an active member of the Edna Hedges Chapter Order of Eastern Star. Helping others was deeply engrained in May, and she worked tirelessly for many years with the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon and later with the Montana Easter Seals, being their top fund raiser for many years and receiving their prestigious Outstanding Service Award. The political life beckoned and May became involved with the Montana Federation of Republican Women’s Club as one of the District Directors. She served on Governor Tim Babcock’s election committee and President Nixon’s election committee and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. Recognizing May’s leadership qualities and commitment to the people she was elected to serve as Yellowstone County Treasurer, May was drafted by the Montana Republican Committee to run for Governor of Montana. May respectfully declined.

May leaves behind to cherish her memory her two daughters, Roberta (Mark) McKinley of Katy, TX and Patricia (Jim) Bredy of Bainbridge Island, WA and eight grandchildren: Matthew, Michelle, James and Rachael McKinley and Caroline, Alex, Paulina and Tori Bredy; three brothers: Edward Malinski, Tucson, AZ, Adam Malinski, Carrington, ND and Ray Malinski, St George, UT; four sisters: Esther Strausberg, Judy Braunberger, Delores Graff all of Jamestown, ND and Helen Johnson, Billings, MT, as well as many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brother Chester and three siblings.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice or your local Easter Seals organization.

Funeral Service: Grace Lutheran Church, Carrington, ND

Date and Time: Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Interment: Carrington Cemetery, Carrington, ND