Marian Margaret (Howell) Frostenson

     Marian Margaret Howell was born the sixth child of George McCoy Howell and Florence Beeman Howell on a cold winter day in January 1933. She grew up in the small town of Lambert, Montana, on the edge of the badlands.

     Her pets were a small frost-bitten kitten who appeared at the back door one winter night (named Wee-one) and a chicken from the flock her mother kept (named Chick-Chick). It was a long time before Marian would eat chicken after the day Chick-Chick disappeared.

     Her older brother, George, taught her to read, by reading aloud to her from his physics and mathematics textbooks. Marian went on to graduate from Lambert High School at age 17, and enrolled in Nurses Training

at Montana State College in Bozeman. She received a well-rounded nursing education and decided that being a surgical nurse was her calling.

    For the next seven years, Marian traveled as a nurse living and working in Spokane, Washington; Paducah, Kentucky; Houston, Texas (where she assisted pioneering open heart surgery doctors, Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley) and then back to Spokane, Washington.

     In the spring of 1960, Marian double dated to a Young Republicans dinner/dance. One half of the other couple was Ted Frostenson, a young engineer with Kaiser Aluminum. Ted was so smitten with the tall, beautiful blonde that he ditched his date and danced with Marian all night. Three months later they were married on September 4, 1960.

     February 1963 added daughter Jill Lisette to the family and in 1965, a son, Brett Robert. As the family grew and Ted was promoted, Marian soon found herself to be an executive’s wife. She entertained bosses, company vice presidents, heads of state and foreign dignitaries in her role, and all done with grace and style.

      Ted and Marian lived in Spokane, Washington; Crete, Illinois; Ravenswood, West Virginia; San Ramon, California and Ghana, West Africa before retiring to Bend, Oregon where they enjoyed a happy retirement and met many new friends.

     During Ted and Marian's 11 years in Ghana, they traveled the world seeing places like the Great Wall of China, Greece, Scotland and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, India, South America, the Galapagos Islands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Switzerland to name a few. They went on safari in Kenya and Tanzania and hosted many families and friends in their home in Africa. It was a life well lived.

     In December 2018, Ted went to be with the Lord. Marian continued living in her house in Bend until June of 2020 when she fell and broke her ankle. After surgery to repair the ankle, she decided that she would remain in the assisted living facility that Brett helped her find in Bend. She resided there, with the help of her friends and neighbors until fall of 2024 when she decided to relocate to Twin Falls, Idaho to be closer to her kids.

     On August 10, 2025, Marian joined Ted and her Lord Jesus in heaven after a rapid decline and a peaceful transition. We rejoice that she is whole and know we will see her again.

     Marian is survived by her daughter Jill (Charlie Kester), son Brett (Kathy), granddaughters Chantelle Frostenson and Savanah Frostenson (Andrew Bailey), great grand-daughters Evelyn Bailey and Dolly Frostenson and great grandson Dallas Frostenson as well as many nieces and nephews.

     The family would like to thank Fox Hollow assisted living in Bend, OR; Brookdale assisted living in Twin Falls, ID and Hospice Visions in Twin Falls, ID for their excellent care of Marian.

     Cremation arrangements are under the care and direction of Demaray Funeral Service – Gooding Chapel.

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