Bonnie Wischmann

Bonnie Jo Wischmann, 93, passed away of natural causes on September 15, 2014, at the Teton County Nursing Home, in Choteau, Montana. Her life is celebrated by her children.

Bonnie often said she lived a wonderful life; she loved her children, and enjoyed reading mysteries. She achieved her dream job later in life working for 20 years as the McCone County librarian, in Circle, Montana. When she was younger she loved music and dance. She played the piano and performed as a ballerina in Bozeman. In college, the fraternities in Bozeman hired her to come and teach their members how to dance. She also taught dance to many children in several Montana towns. The most important thing Bonnie and Hans taught their children was to judge people on the content of their character. We have all done our best to live up to that example.

On Bonnie's 50th birthday we lived in Frazer and for her birthday party we each made party hats from construction paper, that same day a large prairie fire consumed the closest town to Frazer, Oswego, Montana. We are sure the two events were not related. For Bonnie's 90th birthday we recreated our hats for her birthday celebration. To the best of our knowledge no towns burned to the ground on that day.

When the twins were in high school, on weekends up to a dozen girls stayed at our house in Frazer (I still have no idea where in the house, it wasn’t that big!) and everyone was fed before they left for the basketball games. On one occasion, one girl told Bonnie she was not hungry and did not want to eat anything but Bonnie told her that she had to eat or she wasn’t going to the game.

A born and raised Montanan, she did leave the state twice, the first was when she attended the Christian Female College (now Columbia College) in Columbia, Missouri, and during WWII when she and her sister Virginia went to work for Western Union in Sacramento, California.

Many years ago, at Christmas, the game Trivial Pursuit was popular and our family enjoyed answering the questions, even after Bonnie went to bed we could hear her voice from her bedroom answering (correctly) any and all questions relating to literature.

Bonnie Jo Sander was born on September 11, 1921 in Bozeman, Montana. She hailed from Bozeman, Frazer, Circle and Billings to name a few. She married Hans Wischmann, the love of her life, in Bozeman, Montana in 1951.

She was preceded in death by her parents Ruby Haysel (Letchworth) Sander and Theodore John Sander, her siblings Catherine Virginia (Sander) Mc Donald and Theodore John Sander, and her husband Hans Wischmann.

She earned two bachelor’s degrees from Montana State College (now Montana State University) the first in Home Economics and the second in Elementary Education. Her vocations were teaching dance, elementary education, and librarian. She was baptized into the Christian Church in Bozeman and was a member of the Lutheran Churches in Frazer and Circle, Montana. She was also a member of Eastern Star and a Lutheran prayer group in Circle.

She is survived by her sister in law Polly Wischmann, Glendive, her children; Diane Sands (Ann Mary Dussault), Missoula, Teddi McConnell (Richard McConnell), Billings, Susan Wischmann (Steven Johnson), Billings, Sally Stiffler (Wayne Stiffler), Fairfield, and Wayne Wischmann (Patricia Wischmann), Tualatin, Oregon. Bonnie has 10 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

Arrangements for her remains are being handled by Gordon-Jensen Funeral Home in Choteau, Montana. Inurnment will be next to her husband Hans Wischmann in the Veterans Circle of the Riverview Cemetery in Circle, Montana.

We want to thank the Teton Valley Nursing Home staff and the Benifis Hospice Care professionals for the care of our mother and the consideration they showed to the family during the last weeks of our mother’s life.

Her wish for her end of life was to not have a funeral service but for her five children to get together and talk about our lives with our parents and the places we lived. We have and will continue to honor those wishes. Bonnie was a giver to a variety of charities for children, the homeless, battered women and leukemia, consequently her family would prefer that if you wish, please send a memorial to your favorite charity.

Online condolences may be left at http://www.gorderjensenfuneralhome.com