Wendy Wrzesinski

We regretfully and with great sorrow announce the passing of our sister, Wendy Rae Wrzesinski, of Laurel, on May 16, 2023. She was born on July 27, 1980, to Pat and Jerry Oertli in Billings, MT.

Wendy grew up in Billings, MT as well as out at our grandparents (Nam & Baba - names given to them by her when she tried to say grandma and grandpa as a little girl) Bull Mountain ranch, a place she dearly loved, where she took walks in the meadows and picked wildflowers with her Nam, rode horses, caught tadpoles, swam in the water tank, slept in the bunkhouse, and was sang to sleep every night with the same beloved songs by our Baba and his guitar and then after he passed in 1989, by our mom and aunts. She also loved our Garrison grandparent's ranch outside of Eureka, MT, and spent countless summers and many Thanksgivings and Christmases there.

Wendy attended Washington Elementary, Lewis & Clark Jr. High, and graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1998. She settled in Laurel in 2008 when she married Seven Wrzesinski and had no problem changing from Green to Purple, much to the dismay of her Central classmates! She fully embraced the Laurel community and became a proud supporter of all events in the schools and the area.

On December 6, 1999, Wendy became a mom for the first time when her oldest daughter, Iyanna, was born. Next came Kellen on July 29, 2005, then Harlo on March 4, 2008, and finally, Kannon on October 31, 2009. From that day in December 1999 and ever since she has tirelessly and selflessly committed herself to be a mother and all that entails. Wendy was a naturally wonderful, caring, and extremely involved mom who showed her kids the meaning of unconditional love.

To her great delight, on June 11, 2021, Olleyessa Rae came into this world and made Wendy a “Mamaw” (Olleyessa's word for grandma) for the first time. Her second granddaughter, Ximena Joe, was born on November 4, 2022, adding to her joy. Her granddaughters were a source of immense happiness in her life, and she was so looking forward to this new chapter as she was very much involved in their lives.

Wendy was about to start a new life with a wonderful man whom she loved deeply, KC Henry. She was his person, and he was hers and this fit them perfectly. They may not have had much time together, but we are thankful for the great amount of happiness she found with KC in that time.

Wendy had an aura of constant calmness. She was pretty much unshakeable, and this enabled her to be a vital support system for so many in her life. She was the calm in the storm and could always be relied upon to give good, thoughtful, levelheaded counsel. Wendy was an incredibly strong woman, hardworking, selfless, sweet-natured, loyal, and loving, so much so that she did not hold back enough love for herself.

Wendy leaves behind her 4 beloved children: Iyanna (Pito), Kellen, Harlo, and Kannon; her adored granddaughters: Olleyessa and Ximena; loving parents Pat and Jerry; siblings Christine (Gordon) and Tanner (Claire); nephews Antonio (Izabell), Aerick, Israel, Anderson, and Crew Thomas; her person KC Henry; aunts Nee, Fran (Dan), Sandy, Jane (Scott) and Deborah; uncles Tom (Barbara) and Pete (Rhonda); cousin Matt; great-aunt Polly (Bengt); close family friends Liz and Kevin; father of her younger children, Seven and his mother Helen; as well as numerous well-loved cousins and wonderful friends. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Bob and Joan Tully, paternal grandparents Betty and Miles Garrison, her aunt Valerie Garrison, uncle Brad Garrison and her father-in-law Craig Wrzesinski.

A private family interment will be held at a later date.