Obituary - Hildegaard 'Hildy' Verploegen

Hildegaard "Hildy" Verploegen passed away peacefully Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Northern Montana Care Center due to her 87 years, surrounded by the family that loved her dearly.

Cremation has taken place, and Hildy hoped that her family will honor her wishes to not have any funeral or memorial service of any kind. She will be buried with her brothers in a private ceremony in the Cottonwood Cemetery.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.

Please visit Hildy's online memorial page to send a card or leave a message of condolence for her family at https://www.hollandbonine.com .

Hildy was born October 26, 1935, in Havre to John and Margaret (Baumann) Verploegen, the youngest of nine children. She grew up in the Cottonwood area north of Havre, and attended Cottonwood School through the eighth grade. Hildy graduated from Havre Central High School in 1954, and received a scholarship to Marquette University, from which she graduated with a degree in journalism in 1958.

Hildy returned to Havre and worked for the Havre Daily News for a couple of years and then joined her sister Mary in Hawaii, where she worked as a reporter for the Honolulu Star Bulletin for over 35 years. She was known as a precise, unbiased, thorough reporter, and was ALWAYS on time. Over the years, Hildy received many awards and accolades for her articles on the legislature and schools. She retired in 1997, having never married.

Hildy enjoyed cooking, gardening, sewing, and cats. She sewed all of her and her sister's clothes, and they often received compliments on their unique style. She was fortunate to go to Australia in 1965 to work as a freelance reporter for a brief while, an opportunity of a lifetime. She took a freighter back to Hawaii, cooking and cleaning to pay her fare. After her retirement, she and her sister Mary biked across Europe and made a few trips back to meet old relatives.

Hildy was a kind, stylish, gentle person with a big heart. Her legs were in an ad in the New York Times which earned her the name "Legs Verploegen" around the press room. She loved Hawaii, but cherished her trips back to Montana. Due to medical issues, Hildy moved back to Montana in April of 2022 and lived at Timber Creek until she moved into the Care Center.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Margaret Verploegen; brothers Anton, Hans, Paul, Karl, and Bill Verploegen; and sisters, Elizabeth Price and Mary Verploegen.

Hildy is survived by her brother Al Verploegen of Great Falls, and many nieces and nephews.

Her family would like to thank the crew at the Northern Montana Care Center for their outstanding care of Hildy in her last few days.