Doreen Kay Koss

Doreen Kay (Hannaford) Koss, 87, of Malta, MT passed away on July 15th surrounded by family at Phillips County Hospital.

Born July 30th, 1938, in Minot, ND, she was chosen by her parents Arthur and Leone (Marzolf) Hannaford and adored by a large family of aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Doreen was later joined by her sister Sandra Fay, also chosen by Arthur and Leone, in 1949. She graduated from Minot High School in 1956. Later, she moved to Malta where she fell in love with her favorite cowboy, Edwin Nassau Koss. After Edwin mustered up enough courage to propose, she politely suggested they postpone their engagement. After some time, she then decided to propose to Edwin, he accepted her proposal. They married on July 2nd, 1966 and were blessed to raise their three children Bonny, Wesley, and Bridget on the family ranch in South Phillips County.

Doreen enjoyed many activities including tap dancing, roller skating, and shopping with a sharp eye for fashion and decorating. Her favorite activities often involved hosting her many friends and large family. She was an accomplished seamstress who helped to develop a passion for sewing in many young girls during her time as a 4-H leader. With her never-ending passion for arts and crafts, she opened the Koss Kollection with her sister Sandy where they created and retailed a variety of crafts.  Doreen was commissioned to create many artworks for members of the local and surrounding communities. She was always put together enough to step in as a bridesmaid at a moment’s notice but willing to jump right into a staring contest, water fight, card game, or board game with grandkids, as long as the 2 rules were followed: grandma always wins and grandma doesn’t get wet. Later in life she developed an enthusiasm for the sitcom The Golden Girls and game shows such as Family Feud and Cash Cab.

Doreen is survived by her sister Sandy Koss of Billings; brother-in-law Paul (Donna) Koss of Great Falls; daughter Bonny (Doug) Ost of Malta; son, Wesley (Renee) Koss of Malta; nine grandchildren: Mykel (Aaron) Vifquain of Rapid City, SD; Scott (April) Ost of Malta; Zach (Kyla) Ost of Denver, CO; Tony (Sammi) Ost of Great Falls; Eddy (Amanda) Ost of Billings; Tyler (Kaycee) Ost of Malta; Kathy Koss of Malta; Kari (Dakota) Hiebert of Malta; Marcus (Madison) Woods of Malta; Twenty great-grandchildren: Abby, Claire, Jet; Brooklynn, Trevor, Owen; Ryan, Asher, Griffin; Autri, Nassau, Timberlyn; Dayva, Sophia, Briar; Cain, Harvey; Wyatt; Ezekiel, and Eliazer. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her legacy lives on through her middle name shared by a daughter and multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Leone Hannaford, husband Edwin Koss, and daughter Bridget Koss-Woods.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, July 24th, at 6:30pm at Wilderness Funeral Home located at 202 S 2nd St E, Malta, MT 59538.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 25th, at 2:00pm at Wilderness Funeral Home located at 202 S 2nd St E, Malta, MT 59538. Reception to follow at the GN Lodge Room at 161 Central Ave, Malta, MT 59538.

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