Frances Kenoyer

MISSOULA ~ Frances “Fran” Kenoyer (née Ebel), of Missoula, Montana, passed away on November 28, 2023.

Fran was born on June 10, 1946, to Elsie Clara (Bader) and Henry G. Ebel at home in Antelope (Hebron), North Dakota. Fran was the eighth of nine children and lived in Antelope until the death of her father in 1953 when the family moved to Missoula to be close to her mother’s family.

She married Bruce Kenoyer in 1975, and shortly thereafter moved to Cape Girardeau, MO. While there she gave birth to two lovely daughters, Kimberly Kay and Desrai Corinne. Fran and her daughters returned to Missoula in July 1980. After returning to Missoula, she reunited with her old friend Paul Willard who became her lifelong partner.

For approximately 20 years, Fran enjoyed running her childcare business from her home. Her true love was children and she treated them as her own. Over the years, she was fortunate to care for many children and in some cases and for some families a second generation of children. Her last job as a childcare provider was for her beloved granddaughter, Kamdyn.

One of Fran’s great passions in life was tending her vegetable and flower gardens and fussing over her numerous (excessive) house plants. She had a very green thumb! Her favorite flowers were roses, but she also enjoyed peonies, carnations and anything that bloomed. Every Mother’s Day her daughters would take her to all the nurseries in town to select that year’s new plants for the garden. With her tremendous gardening skills, she was able to generously provide abundant fruits and vegetables for her family and friends. She even planted beets for her oldest sister, Alice, even though she didn’t like them herself.

Fran was predeceased by her parents, and her brothers Morris and Harvey, and sister Tillie.

She is survived by her lifetime partner Paul, her siblings Alice, Nora, Ernie, Roy (Maxine), and Fred (Pam). She is also survived by her daughter Kim, granddaughter Kamdyn, daughter Desi, and her stepson Greg Willard (Daylene).

A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

To express condolences online, please visit www.sunsetfuneralhomecemetery.com