NELL WIER obituary

CHOTEAU - Nell "Beth" E. Wier, 86, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, of Alzheimer's disease at a Choteau medical center.

At her request, no services will be held. Cremation has taken place under the direction of Gorder Funeral Home of Choteau.

Beth was born on New Year's Eve, 1917, in the

mining camp of Nickels, Calif. She spent much of her childhood in the Philippines, moving to Seattle as a teenager. She graduated from high school in Seattle and received a nursing degree from the University of Washington. She was a nurse in the Navy during World War II.

While in the Navy, Beth met Dr. Joseph Wier. Beth and Joe were married on June 2, 1944, at Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill. They were divorced in 1979.

After the war, Beth and Joe returned to his home state of Montana where she spent the next 20 years in Big Sandy and Havre raising their three children.

She was active as a Scout leader, PTA member and would never miss one of her children's school or athletic events. When her youngest graduated from high school, Beth returned to her first love, nursing.

She worked for the Head Start program in Havre. In her mid 50s, Beth returned to college and received a degree in counselling. She then taught nursing at Montana State University-Northern and at a community college in Maui, Hawaii. Beth liked seeing new places, and in 1983 she moved to Alaska to work as a nurse for the Coast Guard and as a hostess for a bed and breakfast. She returned to Montana in 1986 to be closer to her family. Beth returned to teaching, instructing nurse's aides at the Teton Nursing Home and Teton Medical Center in Choteau. In 1994, she moved to a retirement center in Redmond, Wash., spending time with her sister, sister-in-law and a group of friends from her nursing school days. She returned to Choteau in 2002 at the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Beth always found time to travel, seeing a good portion of the world, mainly by cruise ship. In her later years she enjoyed reading and crossword puzzles. She made many friends during her years of travel and loved visiting them and sending birthday cards and a Christmas letter until ill health prevented her from doing so in her last few years.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Bill Rothenhoefer, and two children who died at childbirth.

Survivors include her children, Kay Wilson of Omaha, Neb., Jerry Wier of Havre, and Robin Wier of Choteau; sister, Jean Culver of Seattle; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Memorials are suggested to the American Red Cross.