Linda Bliler Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Linda G. Bliler was born July 24, 1927, in Helena, Montana. Her early years were spent in Clyde Park, Wilsall, and Livingston. After she received her B.S. from Montana State University in Bozeman, she moved to the warmth and sunny beaches of southern California where she was an educator and librarian for over 30 years. Linda earned her M.A. from the University of Southern California, School of Library Science, and later earned her Ph.D. in nutrition. Linda’s yearly trips to visit family in California and Montana, her travels to Canada and the East Coast, and several cruises were sources of great joy. Despite Linda’s deteriorating health in her later years, she still had a wonderful sense of humor and a twinkle in her eye when a nice man was around. Linda passed away in March 2012 and left a portion of her estate to the MSU Billings Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship in her name. Linda’s strong belief in higher education and her generosity will provide scholarship assistance to MSU Billings students for years to come. The first scholarship was awarded in academic year 2014-2015.
Impact
“I am writing this from an apartment in Denver, Colorado, where I am awaiting major surgery. I will be donating a portion of my liver to my daughter who suffers from a liver disease called Biliary Atresia. It is important that you know this money means more to me that financial aid; it means a chance to focus my attention on what is truly important in life. Throughout the trials and tribulations I have endured raising a sick child, I am constantly amazed by the generosity of other. Selfless act of giving are unquestionably the most important things in life and Ms. Bliler’s generous gift embodies that.” – Claire E., Business Administration major with a Management option