Obituary - Nancy Jo Kiszczak Lanier

In the early morning of April 22, 2019, at approximately 3 a.m., Nancy Jo Kiszczak Lanier passed away at her home in East Helena, MT, as a result of natural causes. Nancy was 78 years old.

Nancy Lanier was born in Great Falls, Montana, at Columbus Hospital on November 11, 1940. She was the daughter of Joseph "Joe" Arthur Kiszczak and Marion "Tynee" Isabelle Kiszczak.

Nancy and her sister, Penny Swan, grew up and attended school in Great Falls until her family moved to Havre, MT, for Joe's machinist position with the Great Northern Railroad. Nancy graduated from Havre Central Catholic High School in 1958. She then attended Columbus School of Nursing in Great Falls, graduating with the 63rd class in 1961. While going through training, Nancy met Bolder "Rocky" Lanier, an A1C in the U.S. Air Force. Rocky came to Montana from Tarboro, North Carolina. They fell in love and were married on September 12, 1963.

Nancy became a full-time housewife and the best mother anyone could have according to her children - William "Bill" Joseph Lanier, Michael "Mike" Wayne Lanier, Theodore "Ted" Marvin Lanier and Tami Jo Lanier Hanson. She was always helping her children, from being room mother at school to den mother in Cub Scouts. She loved going to watch her children play a number of sports but mostly baseball where Rocky was usually the coach. For many of these games Nancy was the "official scorekeeper." She was also a member for many years of the congregation at St. Peter & Paul Church in Great Falls.

An avid reader, Nancy enjoyed the Jack Reacher series and the Scarpetta series as well as books by David Baldacci. She enjoyed spending time with her sister and going to Great Falls to visit her son Mike, going to the commissary, pick up prescriptions and, of course, playing bingo. She always loved playing bingo and looked forward to her annual trip to Laughlin, Nevada, with her daughter, Tami, and sometimes other relatives, including Rocky, Penny and Michelle Boyd, her niece.

Nancy also loved many activities that involved the Eagles in East Helena. She played and organized playing pinochle on Monday nights, obtained prizes for the annual Easter Egg Hunt and was recently appointed mother of the 4040 FOE Auxiliary, something she cherished immensely. She had many friends in the Auxiliaries around the state having served as President and Treasurer of the 4040 FOE Auxiliary. Nancy was especially happy to visit them last year as Rocky was the Eagles state president and they travelled around the state visiting Aeries and Auxiliaries getting donations for the charity The Montana Hope Project.  

Nancy was an amazing mother and wife and an extremely caring, loving and generous individual with a heart of gold who had an exceptional personality and sense of humor. She repeatedly stated that Mike and she had a great sense of humor and that Mike got it from her as did Cooper, one of her grandsons. She loved to watch movies, TV series and Rocky and their sons play pool. She called her two sons who lived out of town every Sunday night to see how they were doing and what was going on. She even followed football in her later years. Nancy was very proud that all three of her sons and two of her grandsons are Eagle Scouts. Her pride showed by her attending and wearing her parent pins at all five Eagle Courts of Honor.

Nancy's most cherished thing in life was her family and especially her husband, Rocky. They did so much together for so many years. After her passing, Rocky found a note left by the love of his life, that she had written less than a week before her passing. "To my Amazing Husband - I just wanted to say 'Thank you' again - for all the help you've given me. I know it has not been easy but has made my ending days a little easier."  

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Marion Kiszczak, her sister Shelley Mae Kiszczak and Penny's daughter Dana Marie.

Nancy is survived by her husband, Rocky (East Helena); children, Bill (Havre), Mike (Great Falls), Ted (Helena) and Tami Hanson (East Helena), and her sister Penny Swan (Townsend).  Additional surviving family members include Bill's children, Kade, Raven and Kougar, and Kade and Elizabeth's children, Kaison and Kenzley; Ted's children, T.J., Cooper and Brooke, and Ted's wife Heather and their children, Carlin Onstad and Chloe Onstad, and Tami's husband, Craig Hanson. Also surviving are Penny's husband, James Swan Jr., her sons and daughter,  Cody Boyd, Michelle Boyd, and James Swan III.

Nancy was truly an exceptional wife, mother, grandmother and caring individual and will be missed by many.

The family has suggested memorials in Nancy's name be made to St. Peter's Health Hospice, St. Peter's Health Home Oxygen and Sleep Supplies or St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Funeral services will occur on July 25th at 11 a.m. at SS Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church, 120 W. Riggs St. East Helena MT. Lunch will be provided following the service.