Denizens of the valley south of Big Mountain have new monarchy to whom they can pay their respects during the Whitefish Winter Carnival.
Ray and Jerrie Boksich will serve as King Ullr LVII and the Queen of the Snows LVII, respectively, for the upcoming Whitefish Winter Carnival festivities. The pair was crowned during a Jan. 16 coronation ceremony in downtown Whitefish.
Ray Boksich was born and raised in Butte, and earned a degree in elementary education from Western Montana College in 1971. He started teaching fourth grade at Muldown Elementary School in Whitefish in 1972, then worked for decades within the Whitefish school system until completing his career at the Whitefish Independent High School.
»»» Read about “The Wonderful Weirdness of Whitefish Winter Carnival” in the latest Flathead Living magazine or at flatheadliving.com.
Ray met Jerrie Nadeau while working at Muldown, where she was also a teacher. They married in 1976, and had two children, Merika and Garth.
Ray served on the Whitefish City Council in the 1980s, followed by several years on the Park Board, and eventually a term as mayor in the early 1990s. He and Jerrie like to spend time traveling the world visiting people they met through their extensive involvement in the American Field Service exchange student program.
Jerrie, who was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and received her education at Whitman College and University of Montana, has been the past president of both the local Northwest Reading Council and the Montana State Reading Council, and has held many other council positions throughout her teaching career. Her work has also led to her involvement with every Montana Office of Public Instruction Language Arts Curriculum since 1988, and she has received many awards for teaching, including the national Milken Family Foundation Outstanding Teacher award.
The Boksichs volunteer weekly at the Whitefish Community Center helping with Meals on Wheels, and spend as much time with their kids and grandkids as possible. Both have been involved with the Whitefish Winter Carnival since the 1970s.
Carnival festivities continue with the coronation of Prince Frey and Princess Freya on Jan. 23 at Whitefish High School, skijoring from Jan. 29-30, the annual gala on Feb. 5, then the main weekend of frivolity, Feb. 6-7.