Virginia "Ginny" St. Clair Traeger passed away on September 9, 2022. Ginny was born September 16, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York to Ward Kent and Marion Ralston St. Clair. She was raised in Bayside and East Williston, Long Island, New York, where she received her elementary education at Northside School in East Williston and graduated from Roslyn High School.
Ginny graduated from Montana State College in 1954 with a B.S. Degree in Commercial Science. Among her college activities, she was President of the Chi Omega sorority. Ginny was inspired by her father, who was raised in Glasgow, Montana and graduated from Montana State in 1922, to move across the country for college. Her husband and sister graduated from MSC in 1953, followed by her son Mark and daughter-in-law Heidi in 1979, and granddaughter Kelsy in 2007.
Ginny was employed at the Empire Trust Company on Wall Street before her marriage to Fredrick (Fred) Wallace Traeger of Bainville, Montana, on July 2, 1955, in Roslyn, New York. They first lived in Arlington, Virginia and she was employed at the Investment Bankers Association in Washington DC.
Fred was an economist with the Foreign Agricultural Service and in 1956 they were transferred to Brazil where he served as an Assistant Agricultural Attaché in our Embassy in Rio de Janeiro. Her son Mark was born in Rio and, after Fred was transferred to the American Consulate General in Sao Paulo, her daughter Cynthia and son Kyle were born.
She further accompanied her husband on Attaché postings in Lima, Peru; Manila, Philippines; Copenhagen, Denmark, Madrid, Spain, as well as several postings in Washington D.C. She was active in various youth organizations and held offices with American clubs while living abroad. She and her family lived in Virginia and Maryland between foreign assignments.
Ginny and Fred moved to Bozeman in 1987. She had 2400 hours volunteering with the Museum of the Rockies. She also volunteered with the Bozeman Symphony and Intermountain Opera. She enjoyed her many years serving as a Montana Election Judge and was a member of Chapter F, Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) and Riverside Country Club. As a golfer she was proud of her many trophies and her two holes-in-ones, one winning her a car. Everyone who met her commented - “She is so sweet”.
She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Fred; sister, Barbara Christman; and brother-in-law, Robert Traeger. She is survived by her children: son, Mark and his wife Heidi of Sandown, NH; daughter, Cindy Traeger and her fiancé Jose Bracho of Bozeman, MT; and son, Kyle and his wife Nancy of Springdale, AR. She will also be missed by grandchildren, Kelsy Sinelnikov (Andrey), Hayley Traeger (Frederik Zilmer), Hillary Traeger (Dominic Martin), Ian Traeger, Ellie Traeger and 3 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the P.E.O. Scholarship Fund, Chapter F, (care of Danielle Freeburg, 116 Village Downtown Blvd., Bozeman, MT 59715), or to a charity of choice.
There will be a Celebration of Life at The Springs at Bozeman, 2632 Catron St. Bozeman, MT 59718 on October 4th, from 2:00 until 4:00 PM. There will be a short service followed by a reception.
