Mary Ogdahl

1952 - 2025

Mary Ogdahl (Mercer), 72, passed away peacefully on October 13th, leaving behind a body that no longer served her. A long journey with Parkinson's Disease took her on a rollercoaster ride through the later years of her life. She fought hard to continue doing what she loved for as long as possible-especially riding horses and creating art in a multitude of mediums. As the disease progressed, she gained an acceptance of the cards life had dealt her and embraced the experience of living with a neurodegenerative disease, learning what she could, continuing to dream, and making grand plans-all with a joyful, child-like energy.

Mary grew up riding horses bareback around the badlands of eastern Montana and sliding down the gumbo hills with her three siblings on their family's ranch outside of Miles City. She competed in rodeos, won awards for her fiddle playing, and began creating-finding inspiration for her drawings and paintings in the world around her.

As she grew up, her passions evolved, and her focus turned to English horseback riding. She became dedicated to the art of Dressage and developed immense skill in both training horses and instructing other riders. She could be found at the barn almost daily until her body no longer allowed it.

Her art spanned every medium imaginable-from painting to sculpture, hyperrealistic to incredibly abstract-there was nothing off limits for Mary. She shared her love of art with many students, both young and old, teaching for many years at the local Montessori school. She truly believed that we are all artists with different ways of expressing ourselves, espousing that there is no good or bad art-as long as you're creating, you're doing it right.

Her old-time fiddle playing led her to study classical violin for many years, also exploring the piano, cello, percussion, and any other instrument that caught her curiosity. She was forever in wonder of the worlds of music, art, and nature and how they intersected.

Mary spent her final days in the wonderful and incredibly devoted care of the staff at Echoview Assisted Living in Kalispell. She and her family are forever grateful for having landed in such a special place.

She is survived by her daughter, Mara Mercer, her husband, Graham McDonald, their daughter Olive, her sister Beverly Axelsen, and her former husband and devoted caregiver, Toby Mercer. The family is not planning any formal services. Mary's remains will be spread around the vast ranchland of her childhood, joining her two brothers who passed before her. In that final resting spot, she can forever explore the hills, paint the sunsets, and ride the wind she came into this world on. Mary Ogdahl (Mercer)