Vera Mayona Scott Dersam

– On a sunny September day, our Mom, Vera Mayona Scott Dersam, told us she was "leaving for heaven." God reunited our elegant mother with our father, Jack Dersam, and her first husband, Al Weller, and all her loved ones in heaven on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014.

Vera was a lovely woman of grace, humility, perseverance, style, compassion, wisdom and humor. We will always treasure her beautiful spirit and the gift of love she gave to us.

Vera was born to Andrew and Sena Scott on April 2, 1919, on the family farm near Davis, South Dakota. The fourth in a family of seven children, she spent her childhood on the farm where she was born and was always proud of her rural background and the grand adventures she and her siblings shared. She and her younger brother, Howard, once formed a four-member "Fairy Club," of which she, of course, was the president. She talked often of her horse, Charlie, and she once nearly took off Howard's thumb with an ax while he held a piece of wood for her. Vera attended a one-room country school and her Davis High School graduating class of four students had the motto, "Quality, not Quantity." She attended Iowa State Teachers College, graduating from the two-year kindergarten-primary program in 1940. Her first teaching job was in Clarence, Iowa, with a salary of $87.50 a month. She also taught in La Porte City, Iowa City and Des Moines, Iowa.

On July 26, 1942, Vera married her college sweetheart, Alvin A. Weller, who was serving in the Armed Services. Four months later, Al was tragically killed in a training mission off the coast of Hawaii. One of Vera's many beautiful attributes is how deeply she loves. It took her 16 years to heal from the loss of her husband. In that time, she quit teaching to take care of her very ill mother back on the farm. When her mother passed away, she returned to college and earned her B.A. degree at the University of Iowa in 1950 and her master's degree in social work (emphasis in the medical field) from Washington University in St. Louis in 1952. When asked why social work, she would respond that it was such an honor to have taken care of her ailing mother, she wanted to continue doing so for others. She was employed as a medical social worker at the Veterans Hospital in Iowa City for the next four years.

In 1959, Vera traveled to Hawaii, Japan and Hong Kong as a tourist. While in Japan, she interviewed and was accepted as a first-grade teacher in the military dependents school at Johnson Air Force Base. Several months after being in Japan, she was set up on a blind date with Captain Jack Dersam. She was told he was a handsome, dashing widower, but she arranged for her own transportation home just in case. Vera and her Captain fell in love, and she was blessed with his two children, Susan, 12, and John, 10. When Jack's tour of duty ended and her school year was over, they returned to the States and were married Aug. 13, 1959, in Carson City, Nevada. John and Susan always loved the idea of being on their parents' honeymoon!

For the next two years they lived on Long Island, New York, where Jack was stationed at Mitchell Air Force Base and where their daughter, Kathryn, was born. The family was transferred to Homestead AFB near Miami for Jack's final assignment. Vera was employed for five of the 10 years they lived in Florida as a caseworker at Catholic Home for Children, working with adoptions and foster home placements, offering stability, trust and compassion to children and forming lasting friendships with the nuns who cared for them.

In 1971, the Dersam family moved to Missoula. Vera loved Montana's majesty. In September 1972, she joined the Department of Social Work faculty at the University of Montana, where she provided direct supervision to practicum students in health-related professions. She was instrumental in developing social services in several community health agencies where no such service existed before. Upon retirement from UM, Vera was instrumental in opening Many Hands of Montana Gift Gallery, where she formed friendships with local artists, many of whom have risen to great notoriety. As Jack's health began to fail, Vera provided him with her deep, loving and compassionate care until his passing in 1995. Their 36-year union was filled with family, friends, travel and much laughter.

Once again a widow, Vera enjoyed Bible study, completing all the studies of BSF and later becoming an active member of WOW Bible Study. Vera loved interacting with all of the "younger women" of WOW, treasured the bonds of forever friendship and relished the special attention she received as the "oldest member." When she moved to The Springs in 2011, Vera again formed forever friends with many, including Barb Soko, whom she met the very first day. Her "table for eight" friends were all special to her.

Vera's first priority was her family. Education was also important to her, and she was honored and pleased in recent years to have a former first-grade student, Janice Abel, provide an ongoing scholarship in her name at Northern University of Iowa (formerly Iowa State Teachers College).

Vera will be watching over her children Susan, John (Valorie) and Kathryn (Michael); grandchildren Joel (Ana), Elizabeth (Will), Hilary (Adam), Scott, Michela and Erik (Jeannie); great-grandchildren Joseph, Brooke, Drew and Emily; sisters Lois Peterson and Phyllis Haroldson; brother Howard Scott; her many nieces and nephews; her Anderson, Woods, Chapman and Eck families; countless friends; and her grand dog Schnitzel.

She joins in heaven her two husbands, parents, sister Mildred Wilkinson, and brothers Lester and Earl Scott.

A "Celebration of Life" will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at First Presbyterian Church, 235 S. Fifth St. W. A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the "Vera Scott Dersam Endowed Scholarship," University of Northern Iowa Foundation, 205 Commons, Cedar Falls, IA 50614; or First Presbyterian Church of Missoula.

Mom, we love you so much and will see you again in heaven. Have fun up there!
Read Vera Dersam's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.