Edith Bilger, who lived most of her adult life in western Blaine County, became a Montana Centenarian on December 20, 2023. It's an "exclusive club" of folks who have lived 100 years or more. Family members from far and near and friends from all over the area joined Edith at the Chinook Senior Center to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Last October she was listed among the centenarians honored at the Montana Governor's 54th Conference on Aging. She joined fellow Blaine Countian Virginia Olson who turned 102 just days after the annual conference. The statistical chance of making it to one's 100th birthday is less than one percent, yet because of improved lifestyles and medical treatments during the last twenty years centenarians are one of the fastest growing groups in the nation's population. I attended Edith's recent birthday celebration and here's some of what I learned about this latest local to join about 90,000 centenarians nationwide.

Birth, education, marriage and farming in the Paradise Valley

Edith was born in the Turner area. She was the third of four children born to Ernest and Iris Staples. She attended school in Turner and graduated from high school there in 1941. After high school she pursued a program in secretarial studies at what would become MSU-Northern in Havre. Completing her secretarial program in 1943 she went to work at the college in the office of the President, Dr. G. H. Vande Bogart. He was the first president of the college that opened in 1929. Edith shared it was an exciting time as the new school had weathered the Great Depression and by the time she arrived the college's President was dealing with the challenges that followed as World War II wound down.

Edith and William "Bill" Bilger, Jr., who graduated from Chinook High, married in 1948 and moved to the Bilger family farm in the Paradise Valley. They continued irrigation farming and ranching until Bill retired in the early 1990's. From the farm Edith sold eggs. She was also known for her gardening and cooking skills. In the mid-1970's Edith was invited to work for the Blaine County Clerk. She worked at the courthouse for several years helping input election data in to a mechanized system that predated modern computers.

Bill and Edith had no children of their own but were actively involved in the lives of their nieces and nephews. When Edith's sister, Mary, died suddenly of polio in the early 1950's, her two young boys, Paul and Tom, came to live with their maternal grandparents in Turner during the school year, then joined Bill and Edith on the farm during the summers. Max Cederburg, whose mother Nellie was the youngest of Edith's sisters, said he and his two brothers would move from outside Turner to Bill and Edith's farm so they could be nearer their 4H projects during the county fair. Max made it a point to say what a great cook Edith was and how everyone looked forward to holiday meals at the Bilger's farm.

Retiring to Chinook

In the 1990's Bill stopped farming and the couple moved in to Chinook to a small retirement home on Pennsylvania Street. There they continued their interest in gardening and raising flowers. They took lots of walks.

They continued their active involvement with the local Methodist Church. Amelia Funk, at the celebration for Edith, said, "They raised potatoes on their farm and provided potatoes for every big feed we had at the church." Amelia said she recalled Edith working in the church kitchen and Bill helping with the building of Wallner Hall. Both Bill and Edith were active in the Chinook Senior Center after they moved to town. Bill served on the Center's board of directors for a time.

Edith said before retiring she and Bill had always dealt with nephews out on the farm. "Laurie Rigg was Bill's cousin," Edith explained, "and she and Neal had a little girl we would babysit. That was so much fun finally having a little girl to take care of."

Bill went to live at the Sweet Nursing Home and died there in 2018. Later Edith fell and eventually moved to the Care and Comfort facility directly across the street from St. Jude's Catholic Church in Havre. Nephew Max Cederburg said Edith likes living there and is often consulted on cooking questions.

Edith's take on celebrating her new status as a centenarian

When informed of the plans for the celebration at the senior center Max Cederberg told, "Ede (his speical name for his aunt Edith) said, "I doubt anyone will come to it." Some of her family in other states could not come because of COVID outbreaks but there was a nice crowd of well-wishers to share in the big event. Max said the family had a dinner together later and "Ede was a bit emotional about the whole thing."

I asked Edith Bilger if she'd ever thought she would be a centenarian. She smiled, shrugged and shook her head no. It's traditional that someone telling a centenarian's story asks what they attribute their long life to and what kind of advice they would offer to other would-be centenarians. In an earlier quote posted in the program for the Governor's Conference on Aging last fall Edith said her key to a fulfilling life was her "dedication to hard work on the farm." As to advice to future centenarians, she was pretty straightforward: "Go ahead and enjoy what you are doing." It was obvious the day of her big birthday party she was following her own advice. Happy 100th, Edith!