Emily Leighty, 92,
"joined her family in heaven" Dec. 13, 2008, at Heritage Place in Kalispell. Vaclav and Rosie Sterba with son, Frank, welcomed Emily into their home in Michel, British Columbia, May 5, 1916, and in six months the family move to Great Falls.
In 1919, they moved to a farm in the Lower Valley of Flathead County. Brother Jim was born in 1927 after Frank and Emily were attending Demersville School. The three attended there until eighth grade. Emily graduated from Flathead County High School in 1934, and continued her education at Western Normal School in Dillon, where she received her elementary education diploma in 1936, and taught at the Tooley Lake School.
Emily met Bud Leighty and they were married in 1939. They lived on a small cattle ranch on the West Kootenai near Gateway, where Bud and his brother operated a sawmill. While living there, Emily drove a mail route between Rexford and Gateway six days a week for 11 years. She had two sons during this time, that died in infancy. When her son, Darrell, was born in 1953, she gave up the mail route and moved to the Yaak area where her husband and his brother built a permanent sawmill.
When Darrell was 3, Bud left the area and the couple were divorced in 1958. Emily decided to go back to teaching. She received her certificate at the University of Montana, and taught a year in Warland, one in Trego where Darrell started school, and the following years in Whitefish, where she rented a house that she later purchased. Her son graduated from Whitefish High in 1972 and joined the Coast Guard. He died in 1982 in a serious accident.
Emily spent 29 years teaching in Lincoln and Flathead Counties; five years, in all eight grades, were in rural schools. She taught at Somers for 19 years, the last 10 teaching middle school math and reading.
Emily belonged to Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Lambda Chapter since 1968. She served two years as corresponding secretary and sixteen as treasurer. She belonged to a bridge club, Fortnightly Study Club, NWM Retired Teachers, and Christ Lutheran Church, in which she was actively involved.
She enjoyed traveling and visited most states. Travels took her to the Holy Lands, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Turkey and several Mediterranean Islands; along with trips on the Mississippi Queen, to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Branson, Opryland in Nashville, and several mystery trips and a bus tour trip to Victoria, British Columbia.
She enjoyed hiking, golfing, reading, sewing and card playing. When her son was young she was active in Boy Scouts and the swim team, in which she excelled.
Emily survived several surgeries, including a triple open-heart surgery in 1989. In 1996 problems called for several eye surgeries. Through all the hardships, she lived her faith and was a dedicated educator, mother and friend. She was proud of the Sterba family developing the farmland in the Flathead. One of her last wishes was to keep this land as is, for years to come.
Her friend and guardian, Carolyn Pfrimmer, stated that Emily had made lifetime friends with people whom she met on trips, students that she taught, and groups which she joined. Hundreds of cards and letters she received and kept through the years are testimonies to her loving, generous, outreaching nature. It has been an honor to help her take care of her earthly needs during the last year of her life.
A graveside service will be held for Emily at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18, at C.E. Conrad Memorial Cemetery with Pastor Bent of Christ Lutheran Church of Whitefish officiating. Memorials for Emily, could be sent to her choice, Christ Lutheran Church, 5150 River Lakes Pkwy., Whitefish, MT 59937; or WOTM, 230 West 10th Street, Whitefish, MT 59937.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Emily's family. You are invited to go to www.jgfuneralhome.com.com to offer condolences and sign Emily's guest book.