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THE MONTANA STANDARD
2010
Page 2 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
About Women of Distinction For several years now, The Montana Standard has solicited nominations for its annual Women of Distinction awards, honoring women who, through business, volunteer work, community contributions or other acts, have had a positive effect on their community. A panel of staff members at The Standard selected 11 women — three are actually in one nomination — and those women are featured in this special issue with a profile and picture. The women will be honored at a special event beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Maroon Activity Center. The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by The Standard. Standard Editor Gerry O’Brien will emcee the ceremony, during which one woman will be honored as the 2010 Woman of Distinction. WALTER HINICK / THE MONTANA STANDARD
Women archives OF THE
Ellen Crain, Lee Whitney and Harriet Schultz BY GERARD O’BRIEN of The Montana Standard
O
ne nomination for Women of Distinction is actually for three women: The brains, the brawn and the dedication behind the Butte-Silver Bow Archives renovation. Ellen Sharon Crain, Lee Barry Whitney and Harriet Schultz were nominated to The Montana Standard by several people for their work in making the seamless transition from the former archives to the new center on Quartz Street. This summer, the archives reopened to rave reviews after a $7.5 million renovation. During the renovation, the three — along with lots of volunteers — moved hundreds of boxes of paperwork out of the old Fire Station No. 1 to safekeeping at the Kelley Mine yards and the former Boys Central building. “As manager, administrative assistant and cataloguer, each woman’s contribution has led to a remarkable adventure for the many who visit the archives,” wrote
Debbie Shea. “Their love of Butte and respect for the preservation of historical documents that serve to tell our story is evidenced by the commitment and proficiency in guiding visitors on their quest to discovery.” Crain came to the archives as a trained archivist. “I was working at Rocky Mountain Medicine at the time, but I had done historical research in college for mining and environmental companies. When I saw the job opening, I knew it would be a good fit,” Crain said. Lee Whitney, administrative assistant, (whom Crain likes to say is a powerhouse), is a Butte native, born in Dublin Gulch. Her love of Butte shows through the many projects she’s taken on, including the initial Lunch in the Park, Farmer’s market, Broadway 215 theater project and as executive director of the Uptown Association. Of the archives, she says, “It feels
See ARCHIVES, Page 7
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ellen Crain, Lee Whitney and Harriet Schultz are honored for their work on the Butte Archives.
THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010 Page 3
JODY CAMPBELL BY JUSTIN POST of The Montana Standard
S
ome parents dream of becoming empty nesters. But after raising her three biological children into adulthood, Jody Campbell was anxious to fill her Butte home with more infants. “We never have to go through empty nest syndrome because our nest is always full,” she said. Longtime friend Denise Kelly of Butte recently nominated Campbell as a 2010 Woman of Distinction in an effort to recognize her commitment to caring for developmentally disabled children. Campbell, 46, and her husband, Gary, live in a modest home at 1941 Argyle where they are raising the seven adopted children. “She blows me away,” said Kelly, who attended Butte High School with Campbell. “She’s amazing.” Campbell is humble, however, and says she never anticipated being recognized for raising the children. She believes she was called to service by a higher power, and that she and her husband consider their children a blessing. The couple adopted two girls with Down’s syndrome from Belgrade, Serbia, nearly two years ago, and a third last year with the same condition from Kansas.
Their other four adopted children also have special needs such as shaken baby or fetal alcohol syndrome. In all, the Campbells have fostered more than 40 children. They started offering foster care after spending thousands of dollars on infertility treatments to learn they could no longer have biological children. Their three biological children are ages 30, 27 and 26, and the Campbells have eight grandchildren and a ninth
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on the way. Their seven adopted children range in age from 10 to 1 and Campbell says they would like to adopt another baby with Down’s syndrome. Campbell is a stay-at-home mom and home schools and cares for the children while her husband works as a warehouse supervisor and truck driver with United Stationers of Salt Lake City for the past 15 years. Gary Campbell starts work early in
the morning and is home around noon to help care for the children. Jody Campbell said the couple’s reward is their children’s love and seeing them grow and learn. “It really is rewarding to see them when they can conquer something,” she said. “When they are excited it makes us three times as excited for them.” Reporter Justin Post may be reached at Justin.post@lee.net or 496-5572.
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Page 4 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
KARLA AHLBORN
Special ed teacher brings work, children home BY JUSTIN POST of The Montana Standard
W
hen you love teaching as much as Karla Ahlborn, your students are a top priority. But this is one teacher who has taken that philosophy to the extreme. Ahlborn, 53, adopted one of her students after the youngster went into foster care. She’s since adopted one of the child’s siblings and is in the process of adopting two more. “Usually you don’t bring kids home, but I guess I did,� Ahlborn joked recently. Friend Susie Hogart nominated Ahlborn for consideration as a 2010 Woman of Distinction in recognition of her dedication to special children. Ahlborn started teaching special education 31 years ago in Wallace, Idaho, and has taught in Butte since 1988.
She teaches children ages 5 to 7 at Emerson Elementary School in Butte. She and her husband, Mark, adopted 10-year-old Callie, who is confined to a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, more than a year ago. Ahlborn said they volunteered to care for Callie until she could be placed with an adoptive family, but that plan didn’t work out. She didn’t want Callie to move in with another foster family, and instead the couple opted to adopt the child. “I just figured I couldn’t do that to her because she would be bounced from home to home,� she said. When asked whether the couple would consider also adopting Callie’s sister, 11-year-old Haley, they accepted the offer. “It was a no-brainer; keep them together so they are not victims of the foster care system,� Ahlborn said. The couple is serving as foster parents to siblings Taylor, 7, and Cutter, 6, and they are expected to finalize their adoption later this year. “We kept four siblings together,� Ahlborn said. The Ahlborns also have two biological children: Aynsley, 26, and Brant, 15, a freshman at Butte Central High School. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Mark Ahlborn works as a mine engineer and is currently in Mongolia while his wife works as a Butte teacher while also caring for the children. Susie Hogart said the couple began caring for Callie more than three years ago and look forward to finalizing the adoptions of Taylor and Cutter. Hogart, who nominated Ahlborn, said her friend is a longtime member of the Council for Exceptional Children in Montana and that she’s spent countless hours working for Special Olympics in the Mining City. Hogart said she largely nominated Ahlborn for her decision to adopt the children and keep the siblings together. “Raising four more children after her own are raised is a very noble gesture,� Hogart said. “In my eyes, Karla is a wonderful person herself because she expects so little and gives so much. She epitomizes all that is good in a woman.�
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THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010 Page 5
MARSHA FOSTER BY TIM TRAINOR of The Montana Standard
F
or more than a decade, Marsha Foster has been volunteering at the Butte Chamber of Commerce, supporting the town she has grown to love. “I believe in the city and I believe in selling our city,” said Foster, 66. “We are moving forward, and it’s fun to be a part of that.” Foster has helped a lot of organizations move forward throughout her life. The Idaho Falls native moved to Butte 33 years ago when her husband, Shad, was hired by MSE Inc. He retired last year and the two are settling in nicely in their shared retirement. “Best job I ever had,” laughed Marsha. Her work with the Chamber of Commerce often consists of collecting gifts and prizes for various fundraisers, attending ribbon cuttings and working hospitality rooms during tournaments and other events. “When the food runs short, Marsha runs for replenishments,” said friend Peggy Whelan Maloney, who made the nomination. “She is always available where needed.”
See FOSTER, Page 8
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Page 6 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
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Archives ... Continued from Page 2 fantastic, the whole place has changed. People want to get in here to see this place. Once they see it, they get hooked,” Whitney said. For their partner, Schultz, the women have high praise. Schultz, who worked at the archives for the last decade, recently left for library school in Alabama. A southerner by trade, Schultz immediately recognized the plans to move out of the old building as “hurrican’ plannin’,” Crain said. “She volunteered to lead the charge on what papers went where,” Crain said. “The thing is, as a keeper of government records, you need to retrieve public documents at a moment’s notice. The day we finished moving into Boys Central, we got a call from the sheriff’s office for a document. Harriet knew just where it was.” Crain said that may have been the first time the archives truly had total control over where all its documents were filed. “My nomination of these three gals goes far beyond their efforts toward the new archives that, without their tireless efforts and dedication would not be the premier archives in the Northwest that it is,” writes Butte High history teacher Chris Fisk. “They collectively have stepped up and taken a leadership role in the history of this great community and county. “Speaking from the standpoint of a teacher and citizen of Butte, Lee, Ellen and Harriet have molded themselves as the liaison to our past. A past that is accessible to all young and old alike. “My students in class as well as the Montana History Club have found a home in the Butte-Silver Bow Archives, a place that is as welcoming and user-friendly as our classrooms,” Fisk wrote. “They are not treated with contempt but with great consideration as young adults and seen as the future care takers of Butte’s rich history. “This is made possible by the dedicated efforts of Ellen Crain, Lee Whitney and Harriet Schultz to the children of Butte Silver Bow.”
LINDA MCMANAMON ‘Mini-mom’ nominated for distinction BY GEORGE PLAVEN of The Montana Standard hen Linda McManamon, 61, retired from teaching third-graders last year, she told her Hillcrest Elementary School colleagues it was time for family. McManamon is no stranger to the task. Growing up in Butte, McManamon helped care for her five younger sisters among nine children. She graduated from the University of Montana in 1972, and immediately returned home to finish raising the two youngest, then in high school. Paula Parini, 56, and Debbie Thomas, 55, recently described their sister’s love and understanding as “more than we ever expected” in nominating McManamon a 2010 Woman of Distinction. In turn, McManamon told The Montana Standard her sisters were the children she was never able to have. “They were just a blessing,” she said. “I don’t know what I would have done without them.” The sisters still live in Butte, their bond just as close through the years, McManamon said. Two figures, in particular, inspired McManamon to strengthen herself so she could give the best of care to her sisters: Grandmother Mabel Waddell and Aunt Mae Laurence. Through tough times in college, when McManamon wanted to quit and come home, Waddell reinforced the value of education to become an even better provider. McManamon, then 21, graduated with a degree in elementary education. Not long after, her mother died of cirrhosis. Back in Butte, McManamon began her first teaching job at Longfellow School and became Mom to teenagers Paula and Debbie. They lived in an apartment on Fremont Street, later moving to a rented house on Dixon Street. “The only challenging thing, starting out, was budgeting to provide for the things they needed,” McManamon said. “They also helped me to grow.” Parini told The Montana Standard her older sister gave up a huge part of her life to make sure they were all provided for, and to this day is always there when needed. “She’s the kind of lady who’s never too busy,” Parini said.
W
“She’s just amazing.” Thomas told The Montana Standard her sister has been like a “mini-mom.” “Everything about her is just wonderful,” she said. McManamon married her husband, Joe, in 1985 and enjoyed teaching until her retirement. “I just enjoyed being in the classroom with the children,” she said. “I’d definitely like to go back at some point to volunteer.” McManamon is again helping raise kids at home, this time 12- and 17-year-old granddaughters from one of Joe’s children. She also tends every day to an aging aunt. It still doesn’t feel like work, she said. “I enjoy doing for others,” McManamon said. “I’ve always felt that if everyone could take care of their own, and then help others where they could, what a wonderful world this would be.” Reporter George Plaven may be reached via e-mail at george.plaven@lee.net.
Page 8 THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010
Foster ... Continued from Page 2 Foster is also active in St. Ann’s Parish as a Eucharistic minister, a community she has belonged to for decades. During her career Foster worked for a local doctor and later as a marketing director for Marquis Vintage Suites, a local nursing home. She enjoyed working with the elderly and in the health care field during her career. “It was very rewarding, I really enjoyed the work,” she said. After her retirement, Maloney said that Foster “has made it a point to keep in touch with patients and residents whom she regards as friends.” When she isn’t volunteering with the Chamber of Commerce, she likes to exercise, golf, and spend time with her family. She has been married to Shad for 47 years and the couple raised four sons. “It was busy,” she said. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Foster said she is both honored and surprised to be nominated for this year’s Women of Distinction award. “I’m shocked,” she said. “I’m really taken aback by it, but it really means a lot.” — Reporter Tim Trainor may be reached via e-mail at tim.trainor@lee.net or call 496-5519.
DIANE WIDHALM 4-H Leader in it for the kids STORY AND PHOTO BY PAULA J. MCGARVEY for the Montana Standard
G
rowing up in a farming and ranching family in Havre, Diana Widhalm remembers how important 4-H was to her as a girl. “Because we lived in the country, it gave us a sense of belonging and a chance to explore things we were interested in,” she said. Widhalm recalls working on beef, sheep and horse 4-H projects, as well as agricultural projects and more domestic skills, like sewing. Through her 11 years as a program member, she learned skills that helped her grow to become a successful adult, such as responsibility, organizational and communication skills, record keeping and leadership — all gifts that she wanted to pass on to another generation of 4-H-ers. After graduating with a degree in botany from Montana State University, she married Dan Widhalm and came to live in Butte. She got involved in the local 4-H program and for the past 20 years has headed up the Confederates 4-H Club — Butte Silver Bow’s largest 4-H group, with approximately 70 active members. Through club activities, Widhalm drives home the four H’s of 4-H: Health, Head,
Heart and Hands. Widhalm gears up each fall with National 4-H month in October. Under Widhalm’s guidance, this year the group spent the early part of the month doing community service activities, and the latter part of the month gearing up for the annual “Pet-O-Ween” pet costume contest fundraiser at Quality Supply, held the Saturday before Halloween. The club traditionally holds two fundraisers in December: a ski swap and a Christmas wrapping booth at Quality Supply. They also give back to the community by taking time out to help with the annual city wide food drive. Throughout the winter months, Widhalm coordinates monthly meetings where members and their families gather for a meal and a meeting. “I like 4-H because it’s family oriented,” she said. Widhalm coordinates the crowd and sees to it that everyone present gets a good meal, gets their business taken care of, and helps with clean up. Each winter, Widhalm also tries to come up with a special project for her members. Last year, Widhalm helped the club members plan and organize a spaghetti dinner for 200. Breaking the group into committees, the club members were responsible for everything from finding a venue to shopping lists, cooking and seating arrangements.
Manners were mandatory, and the group learned how to plan a dinner from start to finish. “By the time the dinner rolled around, they were really into it,” she said. This year, Widhalm is looking to get the group more involved in community service. “4-H gets a lot of help from the community so I think it’s important that they give something back,” she said. When asked what has kept her in 4-H all these years, Widhalm replied: “The kids.” She quickly added, “I like the adults I work with, too.” Widhalm believes that the program today offers kids the same necessary skills she learned as a girl — and does so in a positive environment. “There are young and old members working together, so there’s mentoring going on,” she said. The role of club leader is rewarding because she gets to see incredible personal growth in the members during their tenure in the program. “A lot of them come in shy, and you can just see them blossom and grow as they see what they can do,” she said. The fact that they have fun and make friends under Widhalm’s guidance keeps them coming back. “It’s really nice to know that what you have done has impacted them and made a positive effect on their lives,” she said.
THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 20109 Page 9
DEBBIE ROEBER BY JOHN GRANT EMEIGH of The Montana Standard
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t all comes down to quality of life. Debbie Roeber believes the elderly and infirm have a right to live their lives in comfort and dignity. She practices just that with her company, Southwest Homecare, which she’s operated in Butte since 1996. Roeber, 55, said she always tries to do more than just provide basic care for the elderly. If their grass is tall, she’ll mow it; if they’re hungry, she’ll cook. Lindy Ballard was one of the people to nominate Roeber for the 2010 Women of Distinction award, because she believes Roeber truly cares for the elderly. “She puts her whole entire heart into her work,” Ballard said. Ballard, a social worker with adult protective services, said she routinely refers people to Roeber’s care, because she has a soft spot for those who’ve been neglected and abused. Roeber recently cared for a man who was living in a small residence that
See ROEBER, Page 12
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MARIAN JENSEN Community catalyst STORY AND PHOTO BY PAULA J. MCGARVEY for The Montana Standard
M
arian Jensen arrived in Butte in 1999 with her husband Roger, who had taken a position as a faculty member at Montana Tech. Already retired, she immediately began looking for opportunities to volunteer within the community and exercise her social conscience. “I think it’s important to speak out. I feel like I want to do things that take a stand,” she said. Jensen said she believes that community is built every single day. “It’s one day at a time and it’s never done. You have to go into volunteering with that understanding or you’ll get frustrated,” she said. Jensen credits her passion and conviction for positive social change to her upbringing. Though she grew up in Louisville, Ky., by her own admission, she has never been your stereotypical Southern Belle. Her father met her mother in England during World War II, and when they returned to the States, they raised both their son and daughter with a focus on academic achievement. “My parents grew up in the Depression and were very poor — education was everything,” she said. Jensen also credits a life-threatening bout with polio at the age of 7 as giving her an even stronger sense of purpose. After spending 19 days in an iron lung and being kept from attending school for a full year, she became motivated to make the most out of life once she recovered. “I didn’t want to lose a minute. I think that’s one
of the parts of life we forget — how lucky we are to be alive,” she said. Jensen attended Centre College of Kentucky in Danville, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1969. She went on to earn her master’s degree in counseling from the University of Cincinnati in 1972. Jensen held various counseling positions in the region over the next decade, before moving into a career planning and placement position at West Virginia University at Morgantown in 1985. While working at the University, Jensen said she was encouraged by its president to enroll in a doctorate program in education administration, which she did while simultaneously participating in an administrative internship. The education she received both in and out of the classroom proved invaluable. “It’s impossible to manage and understand public education without an understanding of the financial side,” she said. It was her background in education that led her to become involved with the Butte Education Foundation, where she serves as a board member. She is passionate about the need to educate our children well. “I’m concerned that they get the best education that they can because they are in charge of our future,” she said.
Jensen is also a board member of Butte’s Sacred Ground community organization. Currently meeting at the Arts Chateau, the community-run group offers options and activities in health, wellness and community building. Participating groups range from yoga to international folk dancing. “We’re actually an umbrella organization for a bunch of groups that don’t have a (physical) home in the community,” she said. In addition to her volunteer work above, Jensen also serves as a vice chair for the Butte-Silver Bow Democratic Central Committee, volunteers for Butte’s Taking Action for Peaceful Solutions (TAPS), and serves as volunteer coordinator for the National /Montana Folk Festival. Jensen is a practicing Buddhist and a member of Butte’s Dharma study group. Her philosophies include a belief that all beings are called to care for others with loving kindness and compassion, which she exemplifies by the way she lives her own life. Her practice extends statewide, where she serves as a member of the Montana Vipassana Steering Committee. Jensen is also a past member of the Friends of the Montana Tech Library, former Butte Literacy Program tutor and former member of The Montana Standard Editorial Board. She has also written four mystery novels, and is currently working on a fifth.
THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2010 Page 11
EVALINE BALL STORY AND PHOTO BY PAULA J. MCGARVEY for The Montana Standard
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valine Ball didn’t plan on living to be 101-yearsold—it happened one healthy day at a time. “So many people ask me why I have lived so long and I think it’s two things in a nutshell: a good diet and exercise,” she said. Ball also attributes her longevity to good genes and taking daily supplements over the years. “At one time I was a distributor of vitamins, minerals and food supplements for the Neo Life Company,” she said. Ball truly practiced what she preached and her
See BALL, Page 12
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Ball ... Continued from Page 9 commitment to a healthy life style has allowed her to age gracefully, remaining both mentally sharp and physically mobile as she enters her second century of life. She continues to exercise regularly at the fitness center at the Big Sky Senior Living Community in Butte. For the staff and residents at Big Sky, Ball is an inspiration. “She is an example to everyone that fitness and a good diet can make you live a long, healthy life,” said Trina Olson, community relations director. Born Evaline Zundel on Feb. 19, 1909, she grew up in Butte, graduating from Butte High School in 1927. She worked as a bookkeeper and stenographer until she married her husband, the late Ray M. Ball, in 1934. The two had one son, Bruce, who is retired and currently living in Los Gatos, Calif. An active mother, Ball never let her age limit her options for physical activity. She took up figure skating as an adult. “That figure skating was fun. I did it as long as I could,” she said.
Ball also found other outdoor sports to keep her active throughout the year. “At the age of 60, I took up golf,” she said. Ball traveled extensively with her late husband on golf vacations, and continued to play on the Senior Circuit long after his death. Ball understood the holistic approach to wellness, long before the term became a catch-phrase. She balanced her diet and exercise with activities that brought her joy. “My main and greatest hobby is singing. I’ve belonged to many outstanding choruses,” she said. Most notably, she put in an 80-year stint singing low alto for the First Presbyterian Church choir. Ball’s love of music extended beyond her singing, and she was one of the original local symphony guild members. When asked the most notable events she recalled from her long and healthy life, Ball said they included: The bombing of the Butte Miner’s Union Hall in 1914, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the birth of her son in 1944. The latter caused a grin to spread across her face from ear to ear. When asked what she thought was the most important thing in life, she gave the question a great deal of thought before she replied: “You must be honorable.”
Roeber ... Continued from Page 9 was waist-high in mail, papers and garbage. Old and expired food covered his kitchen countertops, and his bathroom was no better than an outhouse. She said his children had “ripped him off” and he was feeling depressed. Roeber made it her mission to get this man and his place clean. “He doesn’t deserve to live like that,” she said. It took about three and a half months, but Roeber and her helpers transformed this elderly man’s home into a clean and livable environment. She said the man’s spirits were greatly lifted by these positive changes. Roeber, the mother of four children and grandmother to six, said her mission is to give people “dignity, respect and quality of life.” She said she’s always enjoyed working with the elderly and Alzheimer’s patients, and believes they should spend their remaining years in comfort. “We’re all going to be them one day, and we’re going to want to be treated with dignity and respect too,” she said. Ballard said working with infirm seniors is not easy. Many people don’t have the fortitude to work closely with the elderly and help them with their many needs. However, Ballard said Roeber goes out of her way to bring comfort to the afflicted. “She has an ability to look past all the difficulties a person is having and see the person inside,” Ballard said. Reporter John Grant Emeigh may be reached via e-mail at john.emeigh@lee.net
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