Freda Louise Rodgers

Freda Louise Rodgers February 25, 1927 - June  28, 2026   At 99 she was a force of nature. Born in Butte and raised on the Canadian border, her life spanned Whitlash, Great Falls, Helena, Butte, Missoula, and Ronan. She began attending classes at the College of Great Falls at the age of 16, dropped out at 19 and busied herself with populating the world through the 40s and 50s. She finally graduated from College of Great Falls in 1971 (at 44) and embarked on a career at Montana Department of Health and Human Services, aka The Welfare Department. After retiring, she worked at Tower Falls in Yellowstone, managing the employee kitchen to supplement her income in order to indulge her lust for travel. She loved nature deeply, Montana’s wildflowers brought her particular joy. She enjoyed birdwatching and wildlife observation- she always searched out the wild places, whether at home or abroad. A passionate knitter, she spun her own yarn- and a small grape patch near UM produced the best jam. She surrounded herself with books as reading was her lifelong passion. A skilled and formidable cribbage player, Freda was known for her winning. A great fan of traveling, Freda embraced life fully. She always loved driving (often too fast), even in her final days she was joyfully speeding around in her electric wheelchair.   

 

Preceded in death by too many to name.    

 

Survived by the rest of us.