FVSEF holds memorial for volunteer

The Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation is holding a memorial in honor of Natalie Priebe, a volunteer who assisted with the foundation’s ski museum.

The celebration will be at the Ski Heritage Center in Whitefish on Wednesday, Aug. 14 from 4-7 p.m.

“Natalie’s work on the 50th and 60th anniversaries really laid the groundwork for a regional ski museum in Whitefish,” commented FVSEF director Tim Hinderman. “And her efforts helping to get the Ski Heritage Center started were colossal. We miss her every day.”

Natalie Priebe died on April 9 in Whitefish. She moved to the Flathead Valley in 1973 to ski at Big Mountain and met and married her husband Al two years later.

She had lifelong love of Whitefish, its history, and the community. Natalie’s proudest achievements, beyond being a mother and grandmother, were coordinating the Big Mountain’s 50th anniversary celebration and, 20 years later, contributing to the opening of the Valley’s first ski museum, according to her obituary. She was also very involved in her church, singing a reluctant soprano in the touring choir. She loved to learn, to read, to craft, to cook, to garden and to volunteer at the food bank. “She was happiest when she was on the mountain on skis, though, and she leaves behind a community of people blessed to experience the passion she had for skiing over the last 50 years,” said her obituary.

Friends, former coworkers and fellow volunteers are invited to celebrate Priebe’s legacy as a great friend, tireless volunteer and champion for all good causes. Come to share stories, enjoy memories and pay tribute to her relentless passion for preserving and celebrating our skiing history, and her enthusiastic support for the Ski Heritage Center Museum of Skiing.

The Ski Heritage Center is located at 715 Wisconsin Avenue in Whitefish. Snacks and soft drinks and will be served. For more information, contact Tim Hinderman at 406-885-2730 or tim.hinderman@fvsef.org.