Pauline Alvarez Gless, 86

In the early morning hours of Sunday, January 19, 2025, Pauline A Gless lost her battle with cancer--Multiple Myeloma-and a vicious bout of shingles. Her faith, family, and homestead/land were paramount to Pauline. She was graciously allowed to die at her home with her dear family--reciting the Lord's Prayer; by her side, her daughter Lisa, her son-in-law Darrell, and her sister Petra.

Family and Faith were everything to Pauline. She was born in 1938 and raised in her great-grandparent's log home in Runge, Texas. She is the eldest daughter of Celestina de Leon and Emeterio C. Alvarez. Her family were Spanish-speaking Texans who took pride in running the family farm, picking cotton in their fields, and raising their own livestock for both sale and sustenance.

Pauline grew up picking cotton and caring for livestock with her sisters: Virginia Lopez of Austin, Texas; Petra Montes of Corpus Christi, Texas; and her deceased sister Daria Harold of Beloit, Wisconsin. A younger brother, Emeterio Alvarez, was born in 1961. She experienced racism and segregation while being expected to sit at the back of the bus. Pauline endured racism firsthand as Mexican children and white children were segregated in schools, churches, restaurants, and public transportation. Along with her strong Catholic faith and her courageous family, they endured life's hardships and the hatred of racism that accompanied it.

In 1960, Pauline worked as a secretary and bookkeeper at the Lentz Feed, Seed, and Insecticide Co. and met her future husband, Elmer Elden Gless, an entomologist researcher. Elmer achieved his Master's Degree at the University of Chicago, followed by his Ph.D in Entomology at Iowa State University. While studying for his Ph.D Elmer lived and researched for three summers in Antarctica while Pauline cared for their two young children. While in Antarctica, Elmer discovered a new species of mite (aptly named after Pauline) and has a mountain-Mount Gless-named after him. While they made stops in Chicago, Illinois, Ames, Iowa, and Butte, Montana, they eventually landed at home in Whitehall, Montana. In 1963, they welcomed their daughter Lisa (Darrell Turley) into the family; eleven months later, a son, Thomas.

Pauline earned her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Spanish and English writing from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. She took great pride in being bilingual and translated many important documents for MSE (Mountain States Energy) in Butte, Montana.

She taught Spanish at Butte Central High School in Butte, Montana, and worked at various administrative jobs, including Whitehall, Helena, Butte, Warm Springs, and Bozeman, Montana.

Once retired, Pauline traveled and researched the extensive Alvarez family and wrote a book on the Alvarez ancestorial family tree. She stayed in touch with her extended family, and from 2023-2024, she traveled extensively by car to connect and visit her cherished relatives and cousins, especially in Texas, Colorado, and Utah. Pauline had a very special, deep-rooted, longstanding, and everlasting relationship with her three wonderful sisters; it was a relationship others grow up dreaming about. Her connection with her sisters held no bounds, and she will forever be in the hearts of her beloved sisters.

Pauline and Elmer took great pride in the environmental stewardship of their homestead and acreage. They were especially proud of the hundreds of trees they planted, their beautiful apple orchard, and wildlife and birds that took refuge on their property. Pauline and Elmer made many Whitehall friends and everlasting friendships. She didn't hesitate to call them family, including Marge Duffey, Joy Des Rosier, Lori & Shawn Dunagan, Melanie Stradtman, Tami St. John, and Beady Hacker. For years, Pauline was a longtime member of the TOPS club; she was the president of the Whitehall Senior Citizen Center and a devout member of St. Teresa's Parish of Whitehall, Montana, and Holy Father Miroslawszynal.

Pauline was a staunch Democrat and a practicing Environmentalist. The family has planned a small prayer vigil and gathering at the Whitehall Senior Citizen Center on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 1 PM. Per Pauline's request, she was cremated, and her ashes will be interred at the Whitehall Cemetery alongside her beloved husband, Elmer Elden Gless, and in Runge, Texas.