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HILDEGARDE JOYES
In honor of her love of the outdoors, graveside funeral services for Hildegarde Steinberg Joyes were held at 8 a.m. Monday, July 24, at the St. John's Cemetery, east of Plentywood, with Pastor Barbara Westhoff officiating. Her family requested casual dress, and suggested umbrellas and mosquito repellent! Hildegarde died July 20, 2006, from an infarction of the left middle cerebral artery while at the Sheridan Memorial Nursing Home; she was 103.
Hildegarde was born June 24, 1903 in Rujiena, Nauksen County, Latvia, where she spent her youth and high school years. She married Rudolph Steinberg in 1923 in Latvia, after which they emigrated to the United States on the White Star line, arriving in the Port of New York. She became a naturalized U.S. Citizen five years later. Rudolph worked in the Westby/Crosby area, and Hildegarde worked at the Home Cafe in Westby for her sister-in-law, Alida Mukin. There, she learned a good deal of English and honed her skills in cooking. Eventually, they owned a farm nine miles west of Westby, and raised a family of four children: two boys and two girls. Rudolph died in 1933 during surgery in Minot, N.D. Hildegarde continued to farm with the assistance of hired help and her children when they became old enough. She worked with her sons in the fields, usually driving tractor or hauling grain, while her daughters took care of cooking and household chores. In the Depression years, she supplemented income making and selling wood-fiber flowers.
Her second marriage in 1944 was to Edward Joyes. They lived on her farm and were a happy couple until his death in 1954. Her children were grown and away from home, except for her older son, Lloyd, and later her grandsons, who helped with the farm work. She later moved to Westby's Four-plex Apartments, where she lived for several years, then moved to an apartment in Plentywood. During her last three years, she enjoyed the attention of the nursing staff at the Sheridan Memorial Nursing Home. Previous to that, she would remark, "I'd rather die than live there!" but when living at the facility she said, "I like it here." She was particularly fond of their activity, bowling.
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She loved being taken for rides around town, to Westby, to her farm (once for coffee and cake in the middle of the yard!), to visit old neighbors, to the lake to check if anyone was fishing, and if so, wanted to know if they caught any! She enjoyed being outdoors and the impromptu coffee parties under the large fir tree at her apartment. She enjoyed her last birthday party at Cousins Restaurant, but requested not to invite anyone ... "Whoever wants to come," she said.
Besides the hard work of every farmer, she enjoyed working in her beautiful flower and vegetable gardens, crocheting, painting with water colors, playing her mandolin and violin, church and related activities, quilt making, entertaining, especially for her birthday with outdoor picnics. She was said to be the "best cook in the country." Just mention "let's go fishing," and she was out the door, rod and reel in hand! Occasionally she liked to use calligraphy; a television announcer was so impressed by the writing he showed it on TV, and shortly after that she was asked to teach a class in calligraphy at a high school. Though very home-loving, she did take several trips - to Mexico, Florida and the Bahamas - but her favorite was a tour to Hawaii with her sister-in-law, Hilda Osksa, and her daughter, Violet.
As a girl in Latvia, she would tell her friends, "If I could only see America, I'd be willing to die." She was the oldest resident of Sheridan County (103 years) on her last birthday, June 24, 2006, and the governor's office sent a certificate as being one of Montana's centenarians.
Preceding her in death were her parents; brothers; sisters; her husbands, Rudolph Steinberg and Edward Joyes; both sons, Clinton and Lloyd (and his wife, Viki) Steinberg; a grandson, Victor Steinberg; and a daughter, Ruby (Steinberg) Bryant. Survivors include her daughter, Violet Steinberg; grandsons Gary (Frances) and Alan (Janelle) Steinberg, Christopher Bryant; and granddaughter Valarie (Bryant) Winner; great-grandchildren Erich Steinberg, Megan (Carey) Borah, Erin and Melissa Steinberg and Ashley Bryant; great-great-grandson, baby Seth Borah; nieces and nephews, Vivian Mukin (Ross) River, Richard Osksa, Zenta and Milda Oksa, Laimon Svalbe and others living in Latvia, and grandnieces and nephews, both here and in Latvia.
Fulkerson Funeral Home of Plentywood had charge of arrangements.
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