Caroline Stella Duncan

CAROLINE STELLA DUNCAN



HAMILTON - Caroline Duncan passed away at Valley View Estates Health Care Center in Hamilton, MT. on Sunday, December 27, 2009.

She was born on July 9 1911 in Winnipeg, Canada to John Biedron and Antonina (Leus) Biedron. The family moved to a farm in Manitoba, Canada, and later immigrated to the United States when Caroline was 8 years old, where they settled in Chicago, IL. She became a U.S. Citizen at age 18. During her teens and early 20's, Caroline excelled at sports such as tennis and track, and she enjoyed performing with others in Polish Folk dancing. At age 25 she met Theodore R. Duncan, (born April 27, 1904), and they married on January 9, 1937. Caroline and Ted were blessed with three children, Joan E. Presetti (1938), Tucson AZ; John W. Duncan (1940) Corvallis, MT, and Jeanine E. Duncan (1955) Bellflower, CA.

Caroline was preceded in death by her parents, husband and her two older brothers (Martin and Walter) and her son-in-law Patrick Presetti. She is survived by her sister Bonnie Kucera, her three children: Joan, Jeanine, John and his wife, Anita; by her six grandchildren Jeffrey A. Duncan, Corvallis, MT, Stephanie M. Morgan (husband, Andrew), Corvallis, MT, Corrine Dindinger (husband, James) Buena Park, CA, Russell Presetti, Long Beach, CA, Carla Presetti Tucson AZ, Karen King, Cypress, CA., her six precious great-grandchildren Sawyer, Garret and Conner Morgan, Bryan Presetti, Jacob Dindinger and Andre Williams; as well as other family members of her brothers and sister.

Caroline was not raised in a religious home, but she sought to know God and prayed for this to be revealed to her. Just after Caroline and Ted were married, they began studying the Bible with a minister of Jehovah's Witnesses, and learned of God's name and his purposes and ways. She often spoke of the great happiness she received when she learned the name of God found in the Bible. They were both baptized in 1938, and at that time they were ordained as ministers of Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus began her career, which spanned over 71 years, of preaching the Good News and teaching the Bible others. She literally spoke to everyone she met about God and the message she imparted was to read God's word, learn about Him and His ways for they are righteous and good. She touched the hearts and lives of so many during her lifelong ministry and was blessed with a great number of spiritual children, and always, even to her last days, she was an encouragement to others. During her life, she had few material possessions, but was rich spiritually as she stored up her treasures in heaven. She was a friend to many and enjoyed many friendships. This is not told to honor Caroline, as she would not want any part of that and would not want it, but, as she said at the last, she wanted to encourage others to rely on Jehovah as they deal with their problems.

Caroline enjoyed many passages of the Holy Bible, but when pressed as to her favorite scripture, without hesitation she would say, the 150th Psalm but especially the last verse of this the last Psalm, as this was her fervent desire to witness: "Every breathing thing-let it praise Jah. Praise Jah you people (Hallelujah)."