Paul Jeremiassen, his wife Ann and two children came to Montana from California. Their dream was to retire to a quiet, community-based location in the mountains. Previous visits, a sister in Eureka and a mother in Whitefish made this area a natural.

In 2001, they settled on an acreage near Olney. In Paul's words, "this community is 200 percent better than what they ever hoped to find."

Paul and Ann both volunteer at the Whitefish Theatre Company. Ann works mainly with costumes and gowns, while Paul works primarily with designing and building. They became involved by first attending and marveling at the quality of productions and wanting to somehow be involved.

When asked why he volunteers, Paul responds that "when you volunteer, you get back more than you give." He explained that you make new true friends, have fun and get a great deal of personal satisfaction.

He cannot say enough about how exciting it is to be surrounded by such talented people, or how surprised he is at how much work goes into a production. He speaks glowingly of the camaraderie — the friendly kidding back and forth, the good natural fun they have together, and how everyone pitches in to make each production the very best.

Co-workers speak highly of Paul, describing him as a great guy — a perfectionist, a loyal hard worker and a joy to work with.

Paul, our community also loves the theater company's productions. The part you play is as important as if you were in the spotlight. Our community welcomes you and your family and thanks you for what you do to enrich our lives.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail [email protected].