"2017 Senior Citizen of the Year" awards to two Blaine Countians
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Two Blaine Countians received "Senior Citizen of the Year" awards at the regional meeting of the North Central Agency on Aging's gathering on July 21 at the senior center in Choteau. Karin Roehm, Director of Area III, said, "The annual award program is an opportunity to honor volunteers who have made significant contributions at the various centers in our region."
The Area III Aging Council includes senior centers in Blaine, Chouteau, Liberty, Pondera, Teton, Glacier and Toole counties. Award winners received a plaque commemorating their recognition. Roehm said, "In addition to a certificate we print a booklet with all the winners that has a photo and a short biography about them. Award recipients also received a vest to wear at senior functions. It's all about recognizing the support of volunteers by their respective senior centers." The Harlem and Chinook Senior Center members selected the following two people as 2017 senior citizens of the year.
Deanna Bergstrom: Harlem Senior Center
Editors note: Deanna submitted this biographical information.
Although I was born in North Dakota, most of my life has been spent in Montana. My dad was a grain buyer and my mother a "stay at home mom." They are both retired and live at their home in Malta.
My education includes grades 1-8 in a two-room school in Glentana. High School days were spent in Opheim .Like most kids from rural agricultural communities, I participated in 4-H and church activities. I attended college at Eastern Montana College and graduated from the College of Great Falls with a B.A. in Elementary Education.
My teaching career consisted of teaching in Great Falls and Harlem plus four years of subbing in Billings. I taught for 34 -1/2 years in grades one, three and six and in Resource Rooms. I was a member of a singing group in Great Falls known as The Lowell School Meladiers. In Billings I was a Hospice Volunteer.
My hobbies are knitting and quilting. I knit prayer shawls and caps for newborns. The prayer shawls I give to family and friends or sometimes to friends of friends. The caps have gone to hospitals around the state. The larger quilts are given to family and friends and the smaller ones for infants and toddlers. The smaller quilts have been donated to the Shriner's Hospital in Spokane, Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane and St. Vincent's Hospital in Billings.
My daughter Susan and her husband live in Billings. My two grandsons are now young men.
The Senior Center in Harlem is a good place to enjoy a tasty meal and to enjoy the company of those "aged to perfection." I very much appreciate this honor, but feel that there are many other deserving citizens. Thank you very much.
Art Kleinjan: Chinook Senior Center
Kristi Norby submitted information about Art's contribution to the senior center
The Chinook Senior Center's 2017 Citizen of the year is Art Kleinjan. He is the volunteer driver for the Meals on Wheels program. That job is vital to the community of Chinook by providing daily interaction with shut-in senior citizens while delivering a nutritious meal. Art is kind, always has a smile or quick joke to share and goes above and beyond to help out where needed.
Art grew up northwest of Chinook on a farm/ranch, which is still being operated by his son Dennis. He says, "Lived here all my life so far, that's 85 years." He was in the Navy for four years, from 1951-1955.
After several years of working on ranches and driving a truck, he was elected a Blaine County Commissioner and served 24 years, from 1983-2006, when he opted not to run again. He is married to Alice, and has five kids, 15 grand kids and 21 great grandkids.
Art has spent many years volunteering to help his community, county and country. For more than a decade he served on the church council of St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Chinook. He's currently the Chairman of the Sweet Medical Center Board, having been a member for 7-8 years. He's also Chairman of the Sweet Nursing Home Board and has been a member of that board for 34+ years.
He is a Blaine County 4-H Foundation member and was inducted into the Montana 4-H Foundation Hall of Fame for his work as a volunteer with the Foundation at the state level as well as the local. Over the years, he was a 4-H leader and superintendent of the beef breeding competition at the county fair.
Art is still on the Advisory Board for Bear Paw Development and was chairman of the board for Bear Paw Development several years ago. He is currently Vice Commander of Chinook American Legion Post 48. He was also elected last year as chairman of the board for the North Central Agency on Aging, Area III.
Art has worked to support the Chinook Senior Center for more than 30 years. In 1984, he was the Master of Ceremonies for the grand opening of the current building and is still an active member of the center on a daily basis.
His coffee group reminded, "Art's most important role of all at the senior center is making the early morning coffee. Art, along with Larry Surber, gets up every morning at 5:30 a.m., Monday to Friday, to make the coffee for the 6am coffee group.
