Gretchen Garber Billings

Gretchen Garber Billings (1914–1999) was a journalist and advocate for cooperative causes who co-owned and -operated a newspaper called The People's Voice in Helena, Montana.

Early life Gretchen Garber was born in Whitefish, Montana in 1914 but was raised in the Seattle area. She spent summers in Montana with her grandparents to lessen the impact of her chronic lung disease and moved to Montana permanently after World War II. The Billingses resigned from the paper following "a lengthy dispute with organized labor over support of the Vietnam War."

Later work Billings left the newspaper in 1968 following years of physical and mental stress brought on by the job. In particular, she and her family received threats against their home in the 1950s for her progressive writing during the Red Scare. The couple had three children together: John, Mike and Leon.

Awards and recognition Billings was inducted into the Montana Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2007.

Later years The Billingses retired to their home in Thompson Falls in the 1980s and moved to Apache Junction, Arizona after Harry developed respiratory problems. He died on April 23, 1990.