Bertha Madler

Rosary Vigil will be on Thursday, 5:00 pm January 1, 2004 in the Chapel of Stevenson Funeral Home. Funeral Mass will be Friday, 10:00 am at St. John?s Catholic Church in Baker. Bertha ?Bert? Rose Madler died Sunday December 28, 2003. The youngest child and only daughter born to Peter and Rose (Glentz) Paul, Bertha saw the light of day October 15, 1912 in Stanley, Wisconsin. Her formal education consisted of eight years at St. Ann?s Catholic School in Stanley, Wisconsin. Bert?s insatiable quest for knowledge took her to the library where she devoured anything from Western novels to art texts and mysteries. She subscribed to numerous newspapers and magazines with particular interest in Catholic periodicals. And she read them all! She always enjoyed a lively discussion about religion or politics regardless of whether or not you shared her beliefs. Usually by the end of the conversation, you had to acknowledge the validity of her well-grounded position. Her curiosity about the West prompted her to submit a note to St. Anthony Magazine. Their ?Singles Department? forwarded mail to other Catholic singles. Thus, many letters later, John Madler from Montana drove to meet Bertha Paul in Wisconsin. When he wrote that he would like to come and meet her, she advised him ?not to bother. ? But John, as persistent as he was handsome, made the long journey. Bert and John married in Baker, Montana on January 18, 1948, and the city girl transformed into a country wife and mother to four daughters. Bertha?s interest in reading and knowledge continued throughout her entire life. She also loved music and although she had no formal lessons, she taught herself to play the accordion, harmonica, mandolin, violin, and piano. She played by ear and entertained herself and others with a large repertoire of tunes especially from the ?30?s and ?40?s. Pets of many kinds found love and a good home with Bert. Her favorites included Siamese cats and a special Pekingese dog. African violets also thrived under Bert?s tender care. She could not discard a leaf. Even a broken stem was so precious, she tended it and soon it sprouted into a whole new plant to be enjoyed and shared with anyone who admired it! In their retirement years, Bert and John enjoyed group tours that took them from Alaska to Hawaii. As driving became difficult, they opted to move to Billings in 1997 to be nearer to their daughters. They enjoyed ?gracious retirement living? at Aspen View. Several ?mini-strokes? and subsequent forgetfulness resulted in Bert?s move next door to Aspen Meadows where she enjoyed freedom from chores and received supervision with daily medication. Bert viewed her faith in the Lord as her most precious gift. She eagerly shared with anyone who would listen or read about this treasure. She generously subscribed to magazines and made rosaries for the missions to encourage others in their faith journey. Bert was preceded in death by her parents, four older brothers, her daughter Rita Rose in 1970 and her beloved husband, John Michael, in 1998. Survivors include daughters Lynne (John) Weber and Rayna (Scott) Weiss of Billings and Gale Madler and her husband, Gordon Williams of Bozeman. Special appreciation is extended to the staff at Aspen Meadows for their kindness, support, and affection. We are so grateful for all you do and the love and respect you extended to our family. Memorials are suggested to your local humane society, library or favorite charity.


Burial Date: January 2, 2004
Funeral Home Baker, MT

Funeral Service: Friday, St. John’s Catholic Church, Bake