Roberta Jane (Hammerly) Meyer, 83, a wife, mother and grandmother, home economist, journalist, and at times, a community activist, died of natural causes at a local care facility December 31, 2016.

   A memorial service will be held at First Congregational United Church of Christ on Saturday, February 18th at 11:00 AM. Her ashes will be interred in the church columbarium.   Croxford Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

   Jane was born July 24, 1933 in Kenosha, WI, daughter of Agnes Sherbie Kinder and Donald Dale Hammerly. She was an only child.

   Jane graduated from Newton, IA High School in 1951 and from Iowa State College (now University) in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in home economics/technical journalism. In both high school and college, she was active in journalism activities and was a member of several honorary societies. In her senior year at Iowa State she was honored with membership in Mortar Board, the highest honor for women. She was a member of Alpha Delta Pi social sorority.

   Jane met her future husband, Stanley F. Meyer, in a journalism class at Iowa State. The relationship soon became serious but Jane, graduating a year ahead of Stan, grabbed her dream job as a foods writer, at Sunkist Growers in Los Angeles. 

   After one year and Stan's graduation, Jane returned to Ames, marrying Stan in 1956.  They spent their first year together at Brookings, SD, where Stan was Director of Radio for South Dakota State College. The college extension service soon hired Jane as a foods and nutrition specialist.

    The couple moved to Great Falls in 1957 where Stan had been hired as farm broadcaster by KFBB Radio and Television. Jane became Women's Editor for the Montana Farmer-Stockman, in Great Falls, a job she could do at home while caring for their two young daughters, only going to the office to turn in her contributions and pick up mail. She held this job until the publication was sold and moved to Spokane. Jane also judged both 4-H and Open Class foods at State Fair in Great Falls.  She led, with Gloria Bedker, a 4-H club including the Meyer and Bedker girls and others.

   In 1964, Jane joined Wendt Advertising Agency as a copywriter. On her first day on the job she learned that Wendt had an opening for an account executive; she immediately called Stan, then advertising director at Montana Flour Mills Company. Shortly, both were at Wendt. Jane advanced to an account executive position handling numerous advertising and public relations clients including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana and Montana Deaconess Hospital (now Benefis) among others. She was an Accredited Member of the Public Relations Society of America. As the agency grew and employment law became more complicated Jane added the responsibility of Personnel Director. She retired in 1989, after 25 years at the agency.

   Jane was the Republican nominee for State Legislature in 1990, campaigning door-to-door through the District. However, the incumbent was re-elected.

Governor Stan Stephens then appointed her a member and, later, chair of the Human Rights Commission.

     Jane was supportive of her husband's goals, confident to a fault in his

  ability to do whatever he pursued. She was an enthusiastic cheer-leader.

     Jane had an adventuresome spirit: When Stan said he'd like to take the job in Great Falls, in a state they had never seen, she exclaimed, “If it looks like Glacier Park, let's go.” They came!

    Jane claimed to have inherited a 'travel gene' that required frequent tending. She walked the Andes Trail in Peru, climbed China's Great Wall, and hiked to Granite Park and Sperry chalets in Glacier National Park.  She fished in British Columbia, Alaska and in the Gulf of California.

    Jane particularly enjoyed the Spanish language and culture, taking classes in Spanish for four years and sharing a two-week 'Spanish Immersion' at Cuernavaca, Mexico, with her great friend, the late Margaret Penington.         

Using local buses, she led Stan on a tour of Mayan sites in Mexico's Yucatan and was a relatively competent guide on two auto trips in Spain.

There were also trips to Turkey, Germany, England, and more.

    A cabin that Jane and Stan built on the Blackfoot River near Lincoln, in 1967, became a cherished family retreat. When a proposed cyanide-leach gold mine, to be located near the river's source, threatened to pollute the river, Jane co-founded The Blackfoot Legacy. The Legacy focused on informing the public of the societal and environmental impact such a mine would have on the area. Finally, passage of a statewide initiative prohibiting new open-pit cyanide-leach mines ended the controversy. For her work on behalf of the Blackfoot, the Montana Environmental Information Center awarded Jane its “Community Activist of the Year” award. The friendships made during that continue to this day. Also in the environmental arena, Jane was board chair of the Montana Nature Conservancy for two years and is a life member.

She was also active in her church, serving as Council secretary for several years and was a member of the Junior League of Great Falls.

   Jane loved to sew, embroider, knit, quilt --- anything with needle and thread. She created deerskin costumes for use in a Lewis and Clark movie that Stan was producing.

   She was a voracious reader and member of a book discussion group.

   Jane was a serial dog owner/lover. On a whim and with no background, she took Koni, their stylish female Dalmatian, on the show circuit, campaigning her until Koni earned the title of AKC Champion. Years later, Maggie – an adorable Boston Terrier – became Jane's constant companion.  

   Jane is survived by her husband of 60+ years, by daughters Sara, Minneapolis, and Carol and her husband Lloyd Westerman, New York, and granddaughters Julia and Alice Westerman in New York.

 Memorials are suggested to United Church of Christ, P. O. Box 6303, Great Falls, MT  59406.

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