Gracia A. Hilde, 99,

passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2008, at the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell, of natural causes. She had resided there for the past year after spending the last 77 years in Great Falls. Gracia was born on Sept. 9, 1908, in Lengby, Minn., to Louis B. and Hilma (Olson) Anderson, the fourth of five children. In 1925, she graduated from Fosston High School.

She worked as a secretary in Minneapolis and then in Detroit, where her oldest sister, Fray, lived. Gracia moved to Montana in 1930 to join her brother, Lennart, in Great Falls, where she worked for a division of GMAC for the next eight years.

She met William Hilde at Aunt Sophie Luker's boarding house, where young single people working in the cities used to live, and they married on Dec. 24, 1936. They had three children, David, Ellen and Margaret.

Gracia had many loves, which she pursued actively all of her life, serving in community volunteer positions. She loved reading and read long 'chapter' books to her children when they were toddlers; and joined the Great Books discussions when they were begun in Great Falls in the late 1950s. When Great Falls needed a library in 1960, she and librarian, Alma Jacobs, organized the 'Friends of the Library' to help pass the necessary bond issues. She and friend, Margaret Adams, kept an active 'Friends of the Library' going for many years. Gracia was also active in the Community Beautification Association.

At Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Gracia served as Sunday School superintendent, president of the woman's group, active in Circle, and, with Bill, were leaders in building the church's education wing. She only lessened her church work in her 80s, when the church adopted a policy of letting people over 80 do less if they wanted.

Gracia served as a Girl Scout troop leader, becoming vice president and president of the Big Sky Girl Scout Council, continuing for many years after that as an annual camp visitor as Scoutana.

History was another love. Gracia was active in the Great Falls chapter of the Lewis and Clark Heritage Foundation and was a volunteer for the Cascade County Historical Society at Paris Gibson Square.

Gracia started her love of the outdoors in her youth by swimming and ice skating on Lengby's Spring Lake, then hiking and birding in Montana.

She was active in the Audubon Society, continuing to do bird counts in December into her 90s. She was a member of Ducks Unlimited and the Montana Wilderness Association, where she met a group of new friends who became famous for their 10-day backpack trips in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. She did this into her 80s.

In her late 50s, Gracia returned to ice skating, passing the USFSA's Bronze Dance test. Dancing was another love.

At age 61, a few years after Bill's death, she took up downhill skiing. She skied all over the U.S., Canada and Europe and skied in to her mid-80s.

Gracia was an active volunteer at the Fish, Wildlife and Parks museum by Giant Springs. She spent many hours at the Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, enjoying bird watching. She was excellent at cards, playing pinochle with her brother, Lennart, and sister, Winifred; was a member of a bridge group for many years and taught many card games to children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed taking her grandchildren on trips and other activities.

Gracia was preceded in death by her husband, William; her oldest sister, Fray, and brother, Lennart, who both lived to be 90.

She is survived by her son, David Hilde, and wife Darleen of Bigfork; daughters, Ellen Hilde of Billings, and Margaret Krushensky and husband Tom of Denver; six grandchildren, Todd and Mark Hilde, Kristen McDermott, Jonathan and Paul Nehring, and Sonja Skovin; as well as 12 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Gracia Hilde will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 28, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Great Falls, with Pastor Joel Brosten officiating. Burial will be in the Highland Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 27, at the Schnider Funeral Home in Great Falls.

The family suggests memorial gifts be given to the Great Falls Public Library or to McLaughlin Research Institute.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Gracia's family locally. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com to offer condolences or share memories and to sign Gracia's guestbook.