Roberta Marie Sanderson Thick, 66
Roberta Marie Sanderson Thick was born Oct. 29, 1939, in Hamilton. She was the daughter of Evelyn Saurey Beatty and Ed Beatty. Roberta passed away on Monday, Nov. 28, 2005, at her home in Polson surrounded by her family members. She died after a long battle with a rare form of cancer.
Roberta was raised in the Flathead Valley, a great-granddaughter of Robert and Mary Saurey, Swiss pioneers who homesteaded in Columbia Falls in the later 1800s, and the granddaughter of Dan and Wilma Saurey. Roberta attended elementary school in West Glacier, where her parents worked for the National Park Service. She graduated from Columbia Falls High School in 1957.
Roberta married Richard G. Smith in 1957 and they raised three children: Evonne, Dan and Darryl Smith in Columbia Falls.
Roberta was very active in civic affairs. She served as the director of her Sunday school and the junior choir. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star. Roberta was a trustee of the Columbia Falls School Board for many years and is a past president of the State of Montana School Boards Association. Roberta was also active in the Columbia Falls Jayceens and served as the state president and as a national secretary for the organization. She attended nearly all of her children's many athletic events, and in her positions on the local and state school boards was an avid supporter of girl's high school sports in the '70s.
In 1979, Roberta was named the Outstanding Young Woman of Montana.
Roberta divorced in 1975 and she moved to Missoula to advance her career with the U.S. Postal Service.
Roberta started as a distribution clerk with the post office in Columbia Falls. After moving to Missoula, Roberta took advantage of all opportunities that the Postal Service provided, including stints as the officer in charge of post offices in Libby and in American Fork, Utah. She was the customer service representative in Missoula and the manager of the Hellgate Station Post Office.
While in Missoula, she met the love of her life, Ray Thick, who was also an employee of the Postal Service. Together they moved to Polson, where Ray became the postmaster at Ronan, and Roberta was named the postmaster at the Polson Post Office.
Ray and Roberta married on August 25, 1990. After working several years in Ronan and Polson, Ray and Roberta opted for an early retirement. Roberta did not slow down in retirement. She enjoyed hosting large family vacations at their home in Polson, and golfing with Ray, her children, grandchildren and friends. Ray and Roberta frequently traveled to Idaho, Oregon, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Canada and the East Coast to play golf and visit family members.
Roberta also found time to learn quilting, finding this to be an unexpected connection to her ancestors. She made beautiful quilts for her family and numerous items for charitable events.
She was an active member of the Polson Soroptimists, and for several years Ray and Roberta sponsored the Polson Wine Festival.
Roberta served as a Polson City Council member until illness forced her to resign.
She loved her work with the Polson Golf Association and was a passionate supporter of the Polson Library, serving on its board.
Roberta is survived by her husband, Ray Thick, of Polson; her children and their families, Evonne and Ed Wells, (R.J. and Jackie) of Missoula; Dan and Karen Smith (Adam, James, Danine, Lindsey and Ryan) of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Darryl and Caron Smith (Luke, Ashley, Seth and Kyle) of Madras, Ore.; a brother and his wife, Sandy and Patti Sanderson, of Kalispell; a brother, Ben Beatty, of Green River, Ariz.; and a sister, Myrna Nicholas, of Hawaii.
A memorial service for Roberta will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the First United Methodist Church in Polson.
In lieu of flowers, Roberta would have appreciated memorials to the Polson Junior Golf program, the Polson Library, or the St. Joseph Hospital, especially its Home Health Care program.
Arrangements and cremation are by Grogan Funeral Home in Polson.