Family of George Samuel Montague and
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| George and Elizabeth had three children: Margariete Ann, George Robert, and William L. (Skip) Montague. | |
Robert, Skip and Margariete about 1957 |
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| Margariete was born in Oakland on December 10, 1938. She was very intelligent and strong-willed and was given the job of running the household after her mother died when she (Margareiete) was 14. She attended and graduated from Mills College in Oakland. She taught math at Oakland's Fremont High School before studying for a master's degree which she subsequently earned at Laramie, Wyoming. She earned her Ph.D. in math education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. | |
| Margariete taught at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois where she met and married Dr. Robert F. Wheeler on May 29, 1976 (at the Mills College Chapel in Oakland, CA). She and Bob were conscientious aunt and uncle to all the nieces and nephews living in many parts of the U.S. Each of the children got to fly to Illinois for a week to visit with Aunt Margariete and Uncle Bob. | |
| Margariete had many medical problems caused by a genetic condition called "Marfan's Syndrome." She also had a steeley resolve to get up and get back to work at the university. Once, when her aorta had dissected she was in church. She went outside to the public phone in DeKalb and called the operator. She said, "I need help right now. I'm blind; I can't see anything, but I am going to give you some phone numbers to call. Tell them I need an ambulance." By the time she got to Chicago St. Lukes her blood pressure was 100/0. She refused surgery until her father arrived from California. She survived this surgery, but the next one proved too much, and she passed away on November 6, 1988 at 49 years old. About three hundred students and faculty attended her services in DeKalb and in Oakland. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery, Santa Rosa, CA, with her mother and father. | |
 George and Margariete at her wedding. |
 Dr. Robert F. and Dr. Margariete Montague Wheeler, May 29, 1976, in Oakland, California |
| George Robert Montague | |
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George Robert, called "Robert" was born in Oakland, CA on April 21, 1941. He attended schools and graduated from high school in Santa Rosa. He was particularly good in history and math.
He received a B.A. from San Francisco State University, and he taught math in Oakland at Joaquin Miller Elementary School after his college graduation. He met and married Patricia Fielding on June 17, 1967 in Santa Cruz. He and Pat moved to Stockton where he taught at Delta College and became a beloved fixture in the math and counseling departments. His wife Pat taught Spanish at Lincoln High School for many years. In addition to his mother and sister, Robert also dealt with the complications and surgeries of Marfan's Syndrome. His was diagnosed in his early teens. They were all inspirations to the rest of the family and all their friends. Surgery usually involved 6-15 hours of aortic replacement at Stanford or St. Luke's in Chicago. Margariete and Robert benefited from the latest in surgical procedures. Just as they needed it a new procedure was discovered. After each surgery Robert worked very hard to get up and get back to work. He loved teaching and counseling young people. |
| Robert and Pat have two children: Sean Robert and Janelle Elizabeth. | |
| Robert loved sailing and shared a 25 ft. boat with a partner which was rigged especially so he could sail it in races on the Delta from a seat in the center of the boat. He also was a lover of good wine and food. He played bridge his own way and almost always won because no one else knew his rules He also loved photography. Pat would carry the equipment for him, and assistant him by handing him lenses as he requested (much like a surgeon asking for his surgical tools). | |
| Robert loved going to work and never wanted to retire. However, in 2003 he did retire after a big party for him in Stockton. He developed more medical problems and, at age 60, he passed away on November 11, 2003. | |
| William Lee (Skip) Montague (see separate biography) | |
| George and Skip Montague, racing the "J" boat |  |
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