Della Marie (Miller) Wipplinger, 92

Della Marie (Miller) Wipplinger, 92, was born Feb. 11, 1924, in Columbus, North Dakota. She was the youngest of three children born to William Anthony Miller and Ruth Ann (Prince) Miller. The family farmed in Opheim, until her father’s health forced a move in 1932. The Millers bought a farm north of Charlo where Della first attended school. Della graduated from Dixon High School in 1941 and went to work for the seed house in Charlo.

She married Fritz Wipplinger that same year on Nov. 1, 1941. The couple ranched near Dixon for 51 years, and together raised two children, Barbara Ann and Fritz Gary, and adopted three more, Robert Bouley, and sisters Kathleen and Sheila Wipplinger.

Besides being a ranch wife and mother, Della was a 4-H leader for several years while her family was growing. She was also a Methodist Youth Fellowship group leader and organized two Dixon all-school reunions in the mid-1970s. Della spent 35 years as Dixon School District clerk, retiring in 1988. She served as treasurer for the Dixon Senior Citizen Center for many years and was chosen Senior of the Year in 1997.

Della enjoyed sewing, reading, gardening and was a volunteer to the first and second graders at Dixon during the 1990s, being affectionately known as “Grandma Della.”

Della was preceded in death by her husband, Fritz Wipplinger, in 1992; her parents, William and Ruth Miller; one brother, Glenn James Miller; and one sister, Anna Ruth Barnier.

She is survived by her daughters, Barbara (Wipplinger) McCrea (Alvin), Kathleen (Wipplinger) Belanger (Robert), and Sheila (Wipplinger) Nelson (Jerry); and sons, Fritz Gary Wipplinger (Brenda), and Robert Bouley (Bonnie), 10 grandchildren, Tara [McCrea] Jolma, Trevor McCrea, Jodi (Wipplinger) Feist, Frederick Grant Wipplinger, Wayne Bouley, Frank Bouley, Lisa (Bouley) Holst, Bill Belanger, Danielle Belanger and Leah DuBois; 15 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at Mission Valley United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time at the church.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Montana Community Foundation (Wipplinger Scholarship Fund), P.O. Box 1145, Helena, MT 59624 or www.mtcf.org/Giving/Give-Now Fritz & Della Wipplinger fund.