Thelma Mae Niemeyer

Thelma Dixon Niemeyer, age 97, passed away on March 30, 2023, at St Joseph Medical Center, Polson.  Thelma was born October 2, 1925, in St. Ignatius to Fon and Agnes Dixon and raised on a farm there.  She graduated from Mission High School and went on to be employed at Northern Pacific Hospital in Missoula where she met William Niemeyer.  They married in 1946 and they moved to St. Ignatius where Bill was employed by the Flathead Irrigation and Power Project, and she worked part time in the office.

Bill’s job took them to Hot Springs where he was line foreman and Thelma worked as secretary to the Superintendent of Hot Springs Schools.  When Bill retired, she also retired from the school but went to work part time for Irrigation Equipment Sales.  They had also purchased and remodeled the Niemeyer Apartments which they had run for 23 years.

Thelma was very active in community work.  She was secretary to the Hot Springs Clinic Board when it first formed, helped remodel the Hot Springs Senior Citizen building, and a member of the Hot Springs Planning Board, which helped to establish the first public library in Hot Springs. She also started the Community Ambulance Service that went from a surplus vehicle that had vacuum windshield wipers that stopped while going uphill, to a modern vehicle.  She designed and oversaw the building of the ambulance garage.  She was secretary for Homesteaders Days and worked with CAM to revitalize the hot springs.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William, son, William, four brothers, Merle, Charles, Edward, and Del and two sisters, Gloria Daniels and Betty Muralt. 

She is survived by son, Del (Judy) Niemeyer of Lakeside, Daughters, Nancy (Jim) Eastham of Polson and Barbara (Joe) Fink of Hot Springs along with numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. 

Cremation has taken place.  Memorial services will be held on April 29, 2023, at 2:00 pm at the Hot Springs Bible Church, 700 1st Avenue S in Hot Springs.