By HDN Staff
CHESTER Barbara Jean (Ophus) Chvilicek, 63, died at her home in Chester Monday, April 17, 2000 of cancer.
Memorial services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Chester. Her ashes will be buried at the Big Sandy Cemetery.
Chvilicek was born Dec. 20, 1936 to Jerry and Virginia (Pearson) Ophus in Havre.
Chvilicek attended numerous elementary schools before graduating salutatorian of her 1955 class at Big Sandy High School. In high school, she played clarinet in the marching band.
She continued her education at Northern Montana College in Havre and earned a bachelor of arts degree in business education in 1959.
She taught business courses at Hingham. She met Robert Chvilicek and they were married in Havre on Aug. 11, 1962. They lived and taught in Big Sandy and Belgrade before moving to Chester in 1972. She became a homemaker and worked as bookkeeper for Chester Motors for 18 years.
She quit her job in 1990 when her husband retired as superintendent of Chester Schools. They continued living in Chester and maintained a second home in Tonopah, Nev.
Chvilicek was baptized as an adult at Hingham Lutheran Parish. She was an active member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church and W.E.L.C.A. in Chester. She was a member of the Chester Lionettes, working on the community calendar committee and assisting with many Red Cross blood drives.
She spend nine consecutive summers traveling throughout north central Montana to watch her daughters compete on the Chester Lions Swim Team.
Chvilicek enjoyed arts and crafts, cooking and baking, sewing, reading, flower gardening, and feeding birds. She collected spoons and "Jumble" word games. She enjoyed bowling and volunteering at the local nursing home.
Chvilicek was preceded in death by her father and an infant son, Brian.
Survivors include her husband, Robert, of Chester; three daughters, Amy Beth Hanson of East Helena, Rachel Ghekiere of Chester, and Rita Chvilicek of Pahrump, Nev.; two sisters, Joann Schadewitz and Jere Schaub, both of Kalispell; three grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be given to the new Chester Pool Fund, in care of Heritage Foundation, Box 518, Chester, MT 59522.
Cremation and arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel.
