[Nfbmt] Virginia Sutich Obituary

Fri Dec 7 01:25:54 UTC 2012

http://mi-cache.legacy.com/legacy/images/Cobrands/GreatFallsTribune/Photos/1
2-6obsutich_12062012.jpgVirginia E. Sutich, 91, of Great Falls, a retired
rehabilitation counselor, died of natural causes Monday, Dec. 3, at a local
long term care facility.

Her memorial service is 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial
Chapel, with inturnment to follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery. Schnider Funeral
Home is handling arrangements. 

Virginia Ellen Sutich was born Dec. 1, 1921, in Jamestown, N.D. She was the
first of eight children born to John and Agnes Anwiler. Even though she was
a full term baby, she only weighed 3 1/2 pounds and was not expected to
live. She was called the "miracle baby," at that time the smallest infant
born in Jamestown to survive. Her father kept her warm by the fire and fed
her with an eye dropper, determined that his firstborn would survive. When
the doctors told her father she was blind and would never be able to read,
he encouraged her with the same zest he used at the time of her birth, and
she surprised everyone by not only surviving, but excelling at whatever she
set her mind to do.

http://mi-cache.legacy.com/legacy/images/Cobrands/GreatFallsTribune/Photos/1
2-6obsutich_12062012.jpgIn 1933, her family moved to Minnesota, where there
were more opportunities for the childrens' schooling. Virginia attended
public schools until her father arranged for her to attend a school for the
blind in Fairbault, Minn. She excelled in school and went on to attend
junior college in Coleraine, Minn., earning a teaching certificate. She
taught in rural schools in North Dakota and Minnesota. She was awarded a
fellowship to attend Hunter College in New York City and taught preschool
deaf and blind children at the New York Institute for the Blind. Deciding
she did not like the big city, she taught children in rural Kansas. During
summer breaks, she taught adult blind students in Kansas, Iowa and
eventually Montana. She met Mike Sutich in Bozeman while he was attending
Montana State University and she was teaching weaving at the Montana Summer
School for the Blind. They were married Dec. 27, 1949, in Grand Rapids,
Minn.

Virginia and Mike settled in Tracy, where they raised four children. When
the two older children started school, Virginia went back to school and
earned her teaching degree at the College of Great Falls. She graduated in
1963 and taught at Sts. Peter and Paul Elementary School. Always an advocate
for education, she was instrumental in starting the Title 1 program at
Centerville schools. In addition to raising a family, continuing her
education and working full-time, she was also a 4-H leader, member of the
Centerville PTA, active in the Catholic Church and participated in the
Montana Legacy Legislature.

After two trips to Portland, Ore., for surgical repair of a detached retina
and further loss of vision, Virginia returned to the College of Great Falls
and continued her studies in education. She then started her next career as
the first rehabilitation teacher for the blind for the state of Montana. She
covered 15 counties in north central Montana.

Always an advocate for the disabled, she was active in the Montana
Association for the Blind and helped plan the annual Summer School for the
Blind. She was active at the local, state and national levels advocating for
the blind. She worked with local businesses to help in their efforts to make
facilities accessible to the handicapped and advised them where to place
Braille signage for their visually impaired clients. She worked with local
community leaders to simulate physical and visual impairments so they could
experience the challenges of living with a physical disability. She offered
training for healthcare staff in various facilities to increase awareness
and skills for working with the physically disabled. She served on several
advisory boards and committees, including the Governor's Council for Visual
Services and Independent Living, Transition Committee for the Blind and
Visually Handicapped Youth and US West Consumer Panel on communication
problems of low income, elderly and disabled people. She served as president
of the Montana Independent Living Project. Virginia attended the first White
House Conference on the Handicapped in Washington, D.C., during the Carter
administration. She was consulted by the National Park Service as they
started to develop handicapped accessible trails in the National Park
System.

Never able to drive, she depended on family, neighbors and public
transportation to get her where she needed to be. When arthritis made
climbing on buses and in and out of cabs too difficult for her to reach her
clients, Virginia was forced to retire and continued her work closer to home
in a volunteer capacity.

In 1989, Virginia entered a world of total darkness. There was nothing eye
specialists in Seattle could do to correct her vision. She traveled to
Little Rock, Ark., this time as a student, to learn additional skills to
remain independent. She continued to volunteer and in 1991 was recognized as
the YWCA Woman of the Year for Public Service and was named Centerville
Senior Citizen of the Year.

In her spare time, or any time she was sitting, she listened to countless
talking books and journals while crocheting afghans. She crocheted afghans
and doll blankets for fundraisers, wedding, birthday, graduation and baby
gifts, the Mercy Home, the Children's Receiving Home and of course the
family. One of the grandchildren's favorite memories was going to the yarn
shop to pick out the colors of yarn for the afghan Grandma would make.

She is survived by children Patty (Robert) Shepard of Huntsville, Ala., Mike
(Marie) Sutich of Great Falls, Kathy (Steve) Umphres of Stockett and Bob
Sutich of Great Falls; grandchildren Dewey Sutich, Amber Sutich, Natalie
Bagwell, Jessica McWilliams, Robby Shepard, Heather Voeller and Becky Brown;
great-grandchildren Allie Heathcoat, Ani Sutich, Taylor and Satori Carson,
Westley Ickes, Shelby and Alexis McWilliams, Will and Ben Bagwell and
Tristan Brown; and one great-great-grandchild, Zoey Heathcoat.

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Mike; her parents; brothers
Bill, Jack, Jim, Bob, Rudy and Roger; and sister Betty.

Virginia was an amazing woman who lived a full life as student, teacher,
advocate, mother and grandmother. She was always learning and always
teaching, never content to sit in a rocking chair. Once asked if she liked
teaching adults or children better, she said "I love teaching children, but
I also love teaching adults." She was an inspiration to us all, did not
tolerate a "can't do" attitude and was the ultimate "Little Engine That
Could."

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Peace Hospice of Montana, 1101
26th St., S., Great Falls, MT 59405 or the charity of your choice
<http://media2.legacy.com/adlink/5306/1506419/0/3380/AdId=1862389;BnId=1;iti
me=842977003;ku=1349329;key=COYCADA;nodecode=yes;link=http:/www.legacy.com/o
bituaries/greatfallstribune/condolences-charities.aspx?keyword=coycada&pid=1
61508738> .

Condolences may be posted online at www.schniderfuneralhome.com and/or
www.gftribune.com/obituaries.

Published in Great Falls Tribune on December 6, 2012 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 4290 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbmt_nfbnet.org/attachments/20121206/feb332ab/attachment.jpg>