A Time of Giving:

The FMDH Foundation's "Tree of Life" has become an annual holiday tradition in our community. The Tree was lit on Nov. 24 and will remain so until New Years. During this time we invite you to support the FMDH Foundation while remembering loved ones, friends, and special events with a tax deductible donation. Many people send holiday wishes and congratulations as well as memorials for those dear to them that have been lost. The names of loved ones and events are placed on recognition cards and hung as a loving tribute on the Tree of Life.

This holiday season, Sever Enkerud wanted to do something to honor his wife, Esther, and her passion for nursing. Sever and I met several times to visit about different options, in the end he decided he wanted to help local students pursue their nursing degree with a generous donation.

Enkerud moved to the Tampico community with his family in 1938 at the age of seven. He graduated from Glasgow and attended MSU, where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, where he understood the importance of getting an education.

Esther Wagner had always wanted to be a nurse and she pursued this dream by riding the bus from Circle to Glendive and then boarding a train to Bozeman to obtain her nursing degree. She then came to Glasgow to work as a nurse from 1953 to 1971. Nursing was very good to her, introducing her to Sever on the second floor while she was caring for his father. Enkerud married the love of his life in 1954 and they settled in Tampico where they worked together on the family ranch. Together they enjoyed their four daughters, Kim, Ava, Paula and Tena.

Esther passed away on Jan. 2, 2015, at the age of 83. Esther was a lifetime member of the Montana Nurses Association and always kept her nursing license current. She was also active in the Sarah Circle, the Far and Wide Home Demonstration Club, and Valley County Cowbelles, to name a few. Together they were very active in our community by attending First Lutheran Church, helping in the Tampico Boys 4-H club, Tampico School Board, FMDH Board, and serving on the Montana Association of Grazing Districts. Enkerud also found time to serve under three Montana Governors on the State Resource Conservation Advisory Council.

Their dedication to Valley County is still ongoing as Enkerud wants to help our local students that aspire to be nurses, just like Esther did, for years to come. Currently, Enkerud is semi-retired living on the family ranch somewhere in the middle of nowhere. When you see him this holiday season, make sure to thank him for all he's done for our community and scholarship program. This year the Foundation gave out $24,000 in scholarships, thanks to families like the Enkeruds who understand how vital our rural healthcare is. Be sure to stop by and visit the Tree of Life, which is located across from the Glasgow Primary Care Clinic.

For any questions please contact Mary Kate Tihista with the FMDH Foundation at 228-3614. Donations for the Tree of Life can be sent to the FMDH Foundation, 621 3rd St. South, Glasgow, MT 59230. You can now donate online at http://www.fmdh.org.

The Foundation is extremely grateful for this wonderful gift and Sever and Esther's name will be added to the Foundation's "Wagon Train Wall of Honor" located by the Glasgow Primary Care Clinic. The Sever & Esther Enkerud Nursing Scholarship will be available in 2019.