Birthe (Jorgensen) Kaltschmidt, 85

Birthe was born Sept. 27, 1930, and raised in Copenhagen, Denmark. She passed away Nov. 16, 2015.

Birthe experienced the invasion and occupation of Denmark by the Nazis from 1939 to 1945. As a young girl she saw “a black sky of airplanes.” She asked her father what was going on and was told the Germans “were taking over Denmark.” She and her family experienced the hardship of war for the next six years. As a young girl working in a shop, she was involved with helping Jewish people hide from the Nazis before they were smuggled out of Denmark to Sweden. She experienced terror, rationing and school occupation by the Nazis. These events played a big part in her life. Birthe never complained about these events and like many “survivors” just tried to forget; later in life she shared them with her husband and children.

She immigrated to the United States in 1953 on the ship Kungsholm from Sweden and arrived in New York with two pieces of baggage. From there she stayed with an aunt and got a job, again in a shop, in New Jersey. When asked if she spoke English, her aunt looked at the shopkeeper and said, “Some.” He looked at the nice looking immigrant girl and said, “That’s OK, no one speaks English here anyway.” Thus was the state of the immigrant communities in the New York area in the 1950s.

Shortly thereafter, she met and married her husband, Donald Kaltschmidt Sr. They shared 55 years of marriage; he preceded her in death in 2010. The Kaltschmidt family resided in New Jersey until a move in 1969 to Kalispell. Raising her family here and again working in retail stores as a sales girl for most of her working years, she worked in the KM building for at the Fashion Salon, later at Hillstead’s and, up until recently, at the Salvation Army where she volunteered her time to help her friends and neighbors of Kalispell.

Birthe loved to hike and, living out on Foys Canyon Road for many years, was an avid hiker in the Blacktail Trail area in Herron Park. She always had her dog by her side while hiking. She was committed to exercise in her retirement years and rarely missed a senior exercise class, consequently, rarely saw a doctor. Like any good Dane, she enjoyed pastry a little too much but it never seemed to slow her down!

Birthe enjoyed going south for the winter when she retired with her husband Don. They spent time camping in Arizona and Mexico. She also had a great talent with puzzles and to her last day was working with the “girls” at the Buffalo Hill to complete another. She loved to crochet and made many wonderful things such as beautiful pine needle basket work — a lost art today. Though a “tomboy” in her youth, sewing was a requirement and she learned it well. All her other handiwork she taught herself in her adult years. Her work ethic and survival skills were remarkable.

A gift and talent was the ability to be comfortable around people; she made friends easily. Birthe will be remembered as the outgoing one at any gathering; she never met a stranger.

“Returning to her loved ones we imagine her smiling face into a new adventure beyond the veil. As she has returned to her heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ those of us left behind will miss her immensely.”

Birthe is survived by her son, Don Kaltschmidt and Debbie, and their children Erik and Shanna Kaltschmidt, Kevin and Catlin Kaltschmidt, and Jason Kaltschmidt; her son, Ken and Marcy Kaltschmidt, their children Sierra and Corey Johnson, Cali Kaltschmidt, Shelby Kaltschmidt, and Kenny Kaltschmidt; her daughter, Karole and Dale Sommerfield, their children Stacey Sommerfield, and Scott and Jordan Sommerfield; and great-grandchildren, Clara and Camaron Kaltschmidt.

A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23, at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home in downtown Kalispell. To Leave condolences for the Kaltschmidt family, please visit www.jgfuneralhome.com.