tella Julien Stimac, 96, of Great Falls, died Saturday, at a local nursing home from natural causes.
Stella is survived by 2 sons, a daughter, a sister, 13 grandchildren, as well as 15 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mitchell (Mike) Stimac in 1981; children Sonya Domitrovich and Tony Stimac; son-in-law Rudy Domitrovich; and brothers Kindred Julien and Vernon Julien
Stella was born Dec. 19, 1911, in Edmore, N.D., to Oluf and Elise Julien. She loved music and learned to play piano, organ, and accordion as well as being an accomplished seamstress.
She went to Mayville College in North Dakota where she was trained to teach in rural schools. It was while teaching in New England, N.D., that she married Mike Stimac and they later moved to Edmore, N.D. After farming in Edmore the family moved to Great Falls in 1946 and bought a home on the lower west side.
After raising her four children, she attended the College of Great Falls and earned her teaching degree at age 50. From then and until her retirement, she taught in rural schools including Essex, Hayes, the Knees, Carter, and many, many more. Because the schools were in the country, she often lived at the teacherage during the week and returned to Great Falls on Friday. The kids knew their weekend was over when they saw her white "beetle" driving by their farms Sunday night. Her creative teaching methods, passion for reading, and love of music and plays made her a favorite of the school children and their parents.
Her own family, including children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and neighbors and friends, all benefited from her talents and generosity. She taught us music, reading, and sewing on the old treadle ma-chine. She not only took her grandkids to community concerts but she attended any concert or play they were in (not just once per run, but often every performance), and none of them will ever forget her donuts, apple pie or lefse.
She was an excellent seamstress and made sure that her grandchildren were well stocked in fuzzy coats, knit jumpsuits, and patched pants. She was a "green" quilter before recycling was cool. She transformed old coats, ragged jeans, and used blankets into cozy lap robes for the elderly and warm quilts for her family. Besides creating stage costumes and dresses for entertainers she was known to have made a red suit or two for Santa Claus.
The people of Great Falls benefited from her generosity of spirit too. She was a long-time RSVP volunteer and played her music faithfully at all of the local nursing homes and retirement centers. She was also the organist at Bethel Lutheran Church of which she was a charter member. Throughout her lifetime, there have been many brides who walked down the aisle to her wedding march.
She lived the last years of her life under the wonderful and attentive care of the staff at Park Place Nursing Home.
Stella may be best remembered for driving her old white Volkswagen beetle bug. Today you can still see it running around town in the care of her grandkids. You'll know it by the yellow Uffda sticker over the dent on the back fender. Honk when you see it, in her memory. We'll all smile.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Dec. 16, 2008
Stella is survived by 2 sons, a daughter, a sister, 13 grandchildren, as well as 15 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mitchell (Mike) Stimac in 1981; children Sonya Domitrovich and Tony Stimac; son-in-law Rudy Domitrovich; and brothers Kindred Julien and Vernon Julien
Stella was born Dec. 19, 1911, in Edmore, N.D., to Oluf and Elise Julien. She loved music and learned to play piano, organ, and accordion as well as being an accomplished seamstress.
She went to Mayville College in North Dakota where she was trained to teach in rural schools. It was while teaching in New England, N.D., that she married Mike Stimac and they later moved to Edmore, N.D. After farming in Edmore the family moved to Great Falls in 1946 and bought a home on the lower west side.
After raising her four children, she attended the College of Great Falls and earned her teaching degree at age 50. From then and until her retirement, she taught in rural schools including Essex, Hayes, the Knees, Carter, and many, many more. Because the schools were in the country, she often lived at the teacherage during the week and returned to Great Falls on Friday. The kids knew their weekend was over when they saw her white "beetle" driving by their farms Sunday night. Her creative teaching methods, passion for reading, and love of music and plays made her a favorite of the school children and their parents.
Her own family, including children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and neighbors and friends, all benefited from her talents and generosity. She taught us music, reading, and sewing on the old treadle ma-chine. She not only took her grandkids to community concerts but she attended any concert or play they were in (not just once per run, but often every performance), and none of them will ever forget her donuts, apple pie or lefse.
She was an excellent seamstress and made sure that her grandchildren were well stocked in fuzzy coats, knit jumpsuits, and patched pants. She was a "green" quilter before recycling was cool. She transformed old coats, ragged jeans, and used blankets into cozy lap robes for the elderly and warm quilts for her family. Besides creating stage costumes and dresses for entertainers she was known to have made a red suit or two for Santa Claus.
The people of Great Falls benefited from her generosity of spirit too. She was a long-time RSVP volunteer and played her music faithfully at all of the local nursing homes and retirement centers. She was also the organist at Bethel Lutheran Church of which she was a charter member. Throughout her lifetime, there have been many brides who walked down the aisle to her wedding march.
She lived the last years of her life under the wonderful and attentive care of the staff at Park Place Nursing Home.
Stella may be best remembered for driving her old white Volkswagen beetle bug. Today you can still see it running around town in the care of her grandkids. You'll know it by the yellow Uffda sticker over the dent on the back fender. Honk when you see it, in her memory. We'll all smile.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Dec. 16, 2008
tella Julien Stimac, 96, of Great Falls, died Saturday, at a local nursing home from natural causes.
Stella is survived by 2 sons, a daughter, a sister, 13 grandchildren, as well as 15 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mitchell (Mike) Stimac in 1981; children Sonya Domitrovich and Tony Stimac; son-in-law Rudy Domitrovich; and brothers Kindred Julien and Vernon Julien
Stella was born Dec. 19, 1911, in Edmore, N.D., to Oluf and Elise Julien. She loved music and learned to play piano, organ, and accordion as well as being an accomplished seamstress.
She went to Mayville College in North Dakota where she was trained to teach in rural schools. It was while teaching in New England, N.D., that she married Mike Stimac and they later moved to Edmore, N.D. After farming in Edmore the family moved to Great Falls in 1946 and bought a home on the lower west side.
After raising her four children, she attended the College of Great Falls and earned her teaching degree at age 50. From then and until her retirement, she taught in rural schools including Essex, Hayes, the Knees, Carter, and many, many more. Because the schools were in the country, she often lived at the teacherage during the week and returned to Great Falls on Friday. The kids knew their weekend was over when they saw her white "beetle" driving by their farms Sunday night. Her creative teaching methods, passion for reading, and love of music and plays made her a favorite of the school children and their parents.
Her own family, including children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and neighbors and friends, all benefited from her talents and generosity. She taught us music, reading, and sewing on the old treadle ma-chine. She not only took her grandkids to community concerts but she attended any concert or play they were in (not just once per run, but often every performance), and none of them will ever forget her donuts, apple pie or lefse.
She was an excellent seamstress and made sure that her grandchildren were well stocked in fuzzy coats, knit jumpsuits, and patched pants. She was a "green" quilter before recycling was cool. She transformed old coats, ragged jeans, and used blankets into cozy lap robes for the elderly and warm quilts for her family. Besides creating stage costumes and dresses for entertainers she was known to have made a red suit or two for Santa Claus.
The people of Great Falls benefited from her generosity of spirit too. She was a long-time RSVP volunteer and played her music faithfully at all of the local nursing homes and retirement centers. She was also the organist at Bethel Lutheran Church of which she was a charter member. Throughout her lifetime, there have been many brides who walked down the aisle to her wedding march.
She lived the last years of her life under the wonderful and attentive care of the staff at Park Place Nursing Home.
Stella may be best remembered for driving her old white Volkswagen beetle bug. Today you can still see it running around town in the care of her grandkids. You'll know it by the yellow Uffda sticker over the dent on the back fender. Honk when you see it, in her memory. We'll all smile.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Dec. 16, 2008
Stella is survived by 2 sons, a daughter, a sister, 13 grandchildren, as well as 15 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mitchell (Mike) Stimac in 1981; children Sonya Domitrovich and Tony Stimac; son-in-law Rudy Domitrovich; and brothers Kindred Julien and Vernon Julien
Stella was born Dec. 19, 1911, in Edmore, N.D., to Oluf and Elise Julien. She loved music and learned to play piano, organ, and accordion as well as being an accomplished seamstress.
She went to Mayville College in North Dakota where she was trained to teach in rural schools. It was while teaching in New England, N.D., that she married Mike Stimac and they later moved to Edmore, N.D. After farming in Edmore the family moved to Great Falls in 1946 and bought a home on the lower west side.
After raising her four children, she attended the College of Great Falls and earned her teaching degree at age 50. From then and until her retirement, she taught in rural schools including Essex, Hayes, the Knees, Carter, and many, many more. Because the schools were in the country, she often lived at the teacherage during the week and returned to Great Falls on Friday. The kids knew their weekend was over when they saw her white "beetle" driving by their farms Sunday night. Her creative teaching methods, passion for reading, and love of music and plays made her a favorite of the school children and their parents.
Her own family, including children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins, and neighbors and friends, all benefited from her talents and generosity. She taught us music, reading, and sewing on the old treadle ma-chine. She not only took her grandkids to community concerts but she attended any concert or play they were in (not just once per run, but often every performance), and none of them will ever forget her donuts, apple pie or lefse.
She was an excellent seamstress and made sure that her grandchildren were well stocked in fuzzy coats, knit jumpsuits, and patched pants. She was a "green" quilter before recycling was cool. She transformed old coats, ragged jeans, and used blankets into cozy lap robes for the elderly and warm quilts for her family. Besides creating stage costumes and dresses for entertainers she was known to have made a red suit or two for Santa Claus.
The people of Great Falls benefited from her generosity of spirit too. She was a long-time RSVP volunteer and played her music faithfully at all of the local nursing homes and retirement centers. She was also the organist at Bethel Lutheran Church of which she was a charter member. Throughout her lifetime, there have been many brides who walked down the aisle to her wedding march.
She lived the last years of her life under the wonderful and attentive care of the staff at Park Place Nursing Home.
Stella may be best remembered for driving her old white Volkswagen beetle bug. Today you can still see it running around town in the care of her grandkids. You'll know it by the yellow Uffda sticker over the dent on the back fender. Honk when you see it, in her memory. We'll all smile.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune on Dec. 16, 2008
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