By HDN Staff
RUDYARD/BILLINGS Linda Gayle Schweitzer, 41, of Billings, died at her parents' farmhouse north of Rudyard Monday, Feb. 18, 2002, of an apparent diabetic hypoglycemic episode during her sleep.
A prayer Mass will be 7 p.m. today at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. Vigil prayers will be 8 p.m. Friday at St. Pius X Church in Billings, located at 18th and Broadwater. Funeral Mass will be 11:07 a.m . Saturday at St. Pius X Church in Billings.
Linda was born Oct. 24, 1960, at Havre to Jerry and Mary Lois (Stanberry) Hybner. Her early education was at the Oreana Country School near the farm. She finished her secondary education in Rudyard and graduated from Rudyard High School in 1979. Linda attended Montana State University in Bozeman for one year, then transferred to the University of Montana in Missoula. She graduated in 1983 with a bachelor of arts degree in social work.
Linda spent the next two years working at Child Protective Services in Havre and was a vital volunteer with Havre Encourages Long-range Preven-tion in Havre. She moved to Billings in 1986 and took a job with the State of Montana. She was currently employed as a supervisor for the Department of Health and Human Services.
Linda married Tony J. Schweitzer on July 17, 1993, at Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church in Hingham. They made their home in Billings, where they attended worship services at St. Pius X Church. In addition to her social work, Linda enjoyed her life as homemaker and mother to Tony's daughter, Amber.
Although she suffered from juvenile-onset diabetes, Linda stayed as active as possible. She had traveled to Rudyard this past weekend to visit family and friends.
Her hobbies included baking cookies, playing card games with her nieces, nephews and neighborhood kids. Her favorite card games were pinochle and whist and her favorite dice game was Bunko. She also loved the challenge of Trivial Pursuit and used to play women's softball. More recently, she enjoyed the family's camping trips to Red Lodge and Yellowstone. She collected bells and Dreamscicles. In her quiet times, Linda enjoyed reading, particularly Agatha Christie mysteries. She was an avid Montana Grizzly football fan.
Linda was preceded in death by an infant sister, Theresa Ann Hybner.
Survivors include her husband, Tony Schweitzer of Billings; daughter, Amber (Mike) Henson of Henderson, Nev.; parents, Jerry and Mary Lois Hybner of Rudyard; sisters, Joan Marie (Jeff) McClendon of Denver and Amy Hybner of Windsor, Calif.; brothers, Dan (Lynn) Hybner of Rudyard, Roger Hybner of Sheridan, Wyo., and Terry (Mary) Hybner of Rudyard; parents-in-law, Leander and Sarah Schweitzer of Billings; two brothers-in-law; 13 nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to the Billings Food Bank, Billings Homeless Shelter of Men, or the Montana Diabetes Association for research.
Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.
