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Hi-Line Retirement's 100 Club Receives Gift

The 100 Club, starting its third year raising funds for an endowment, has received a gift of $15,000 to honor the memory of Emma Jean Bridges. Jean moved to Malta and lived at Hi-Line Retirement Center (HLRC) from June of 2016 until she passed away in January of this year. In the words of one of her great-nieces, "she was unique, sassy, feisty and wasn't afraid to say exactly what she thought. She also cared about each of us immensely."

Jean moved to San Francisco in 1943 from her hometown of Geyser, Mont., just a few days after she graduated high school. All of her life she was a businesswoman. She also liked to travel. In the 1970s, she and her husband, Guy, moved to Australia where they lived for about four years. They enjoyed skin diving for seashells and collected them from the Great Barrier Reef, Hawaii, Mexico, Florida, and several other places. After Guy's death, Jean moved back to the United States and worked for the City of Forest Grove, Oregon, until her retirement at which time she moved to Great Falls to be closer to family. She lived there until she moved to Malta.

Jean was a volunteer at Benefis East gift shop for several years, donated to many charities and became a member of The 100 Club when it started. She enjoyed living at HLRC and had many friends among the residents and staff. She had a giving heart but would definitely let you know if you weren't doing something the way she wanted. She also enjoyed giving Duane (Murray, HLRC Director) a hard time when the cappuccino machine was empty!

Jean's niece, Carol Kienenberger shared, "We were so grateful to have Hi-Line Retirement Center here when Jean was unable to continue living on her own. We need to ensure the facility continues to be here for others. The 100 Club is one way to help ensure that. Dean and I wanted to honor her memory and her generosity to others by this gift to the Hi-Line Retirement Center's 100 Club."

 

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