Myrtle Hofacker
Myrtle E. Hofacker, 90, died peacefully Aug. 29, 2007, at her home in Billings.
She was born Sept. 16, 1916, in Wadsworth, Ohio, to Earl and Gertrude (Stackhouse) Clinesmith. She graduated from Chatham High School in 1934 with a class of 18.
After high school, she left home for the adventures of nurses training. She earned her degree as a registered nurse at Elyria Memorial Hospital in 1938 and completed post-graduate work in obstetrics at the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital in Jersey City, N.J., in 1940.
After the outbreak of World War II, Myrtle enlisted in the Army Nurses Corps. Her first Army station was in Iceland, where out of thousands of soldiers, she met the love of her life, Signal Corps officer Roger A. Hofacker. A year later, on New Year’s Eve 1943, she and Roger were engaged in London while on leave from their assignments in England.
She served as a surgical nurse in a hospital in England prior to D-Day and later at hospitals in and near Paris. After working half of her shift June 15, 1945, Myrtle and Roger were married twice that day — once by the Army chaplain and again by the French authorities.
After the war, they settled in Montana, where they lived in Helena, Lewistown, Livingston, Butte and Colstrip during the course of Roger’s career with the Montana Power Co.
Myrtle was active in the Presbyterian Church, living as an example of Christian service. She also shared her talents with the P.E.O. sisterhood. She took an active role in her children’s activities and was an all-around great mom. She was a very loyal friend, maintaining lifelong friendships with grade-school and high-school classmates, Army colleagues, bridge-playing and camping friends.
Roger retired in 1980, and he and Myrtle moved to Whitefish, where they enjoyed hosting friends and family at their home on Whitefish Lake. They also spent much of their time traveling the world.
In 2003, they moved to Billings. Roger passed away that October, and Myrtle spent her remaining years living independently in Billings near her son Michael. Visits from her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren brought her many happy hours.
Myrtle is survived by her children, Michael Hofacker and wife Margaret, Susan Leland and husband John, and Richard Hofacker and wife Amy; grandchildren Theresa and John Kanji, David, Karen and Terry Ray, Peter, Heather and Shane Davis, and Jennifer, Mark and Rachel; and great grandchildren Isabella, Garet, Darien and Ethan.
A memorial service will be held for Myrtle on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2007, at 1 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 2420 13th Street West, in Billings. Interment with military honors will take place afterward at the Sunset Memorial Gardens.
Memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Church, P.E.O. or the charity of choice.