Gertrude Weishaar

Gertrude Postill Weishaar passed away February 8, 2014, at the age of 88 years at the Benefis Hospice in Great Falls, MT.Visitation will be at Schnider Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Her funeral service will take place at the United Church of Christ in Fairfield, MT on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at 11:00 a.m.Gertrude was born on August 22, 1925 in Great Falls to immigrant parents, Caroline and Isaac Postill. Gertrude was the oldest of five children. Early childhood was spent on the family homestead in the Upper Shonkin Mountains and she attended schools in Geraldine and Fort Benton. After graduation from Fort Benton High School in 1944, her teaching career started in country schools at the Shaw School northwest of Carter and then the Upper Shonkin School in the Highwood Mountains. In 1951 she returned to college graduating with honors in 1954 from Montana State College with a Bachelor of Science teaching degree. After teaching a year in Glasgow she moved to Fairfield where she spent her last 36 years of teaching. Upon retirement she completed her 44 years of teaching having never missed a day of school and continued to tutor students for many years. She was always willing to help anyone anytime anywhere when they needed her assistance.At Fairfield High School she sponsored the National Honor Society of 20 years and Mu Alpha Theta for 30 years. She was a class sponsor for 36 years and held or assisted with the local and state science fairs.Honors she received include the Phi Kappa Phi Scholastic Honorary and two advanced scholarships at Montana State University. She also received the Phi Sigma Biological Society Award, the Mu Beta Beta-4-H honorary. During the 1979-80 school year she was chosen Fairfield school's first Outstanding Teacher of the Year. In 1983 she received the Montana's Outstanding Math and Science Teacher of the Year award and in 1988 she was once again chosen Montana Teacher of the Year .On June 7, 1959 Gertrude married Edwin Weishaar and they remained together until his passing in 2001.She was an active member of the Delta Kappa Gamma, the Fairfield Woman's Club and the United Church of Christ in Fairfield. Some of her favorite activities were flower gardening, feeding the birds, stamp collecting and attending her Tuesday Woman's group where she liked to do embroidery work and scrap booking.Things most endearing to her through the years were her students she had taught, her dear and faithful Fairfield friends and Fairfield community, her three sisters and families, and her childhood home in the Shonkin Mountains.Gertrude is survived by her three sisters, Caroline Stewart, northwest of Fort Benton, Kathryn Woodburn of Geraldine, and Betty Anne Postill of Fort Benton; nephews and nieces Bob Woodburn, Jim (Lorrie) Woodburn, Donna Woodburn (Rob) Uhlrich, Resa Stewart (Wayne) Yamamoto, Lila Stewart (Garth) Good, and Glen (Kathy) Stewart; as well as several great nieces and nephews.She was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin Weishaar;, parents Caroline and Isaac Postill; brother Isaac Postill, Jr.; and brothers-in-law, Charles Stewart and Warren Woodburn.Memorials in Gertrude's honor may be made to the United Church of Christ, PO Box 548, Fairfield, MT 59436 or a charity of your choice.Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.schniderfuneralhome.com.