HOWARD WIEDERRICH, Obituary

BIG SANDY Howard Albert Wiederrich, 83, retired NAPA Store owner, died Saturday, June 29, 2002, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes.

Funeral service is 2 p.m. Friday at the Rohrer Memorial United Methodist Church in Big Sandy with Pastor Marvin Eldridge officiating. Burial is to

follow at the Big Sandy Cemetery. Fellowship to follow burial at the church.

Howard was born March 27, 1919, to Albert and Emilie (Wild) Wiederrich at Zap, N.D. He attended grade school there until the last two weeks of eighth grade at Sidney.

In 1941, he married Betty Spooner at Havre. To this union, three children were born. Betty died in 1951.

In 1952, Howard married Gwen Littlefield in Big Sandy. In 1961, Howard moved his family to Big Sandy to take over his father-in-law's business. Howard served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1941 through 1945 in Germany. He and his wife, Gwen, owned and operated the NAPA Store in Big Sandy until their retirement in 1981.

He was active in the Rotary Club and was fire chief for two years. He was active in the Mason's AM&FM #95. His hobbies included building his own homes and inventing things. He was interested in and understood anything mechanical.

He was preceded in death by his father, Albert Wiederrich; first wife, Betty Spooner Wiederrich in 1951; brother, LeRoy Wiederrich; sisters, Mabel Wiederrich, Alice Tomlin and Betty Mayer.

He is survived by his mother, Emilie Wiederrich of Great Falls; wife, Gwen Wiederrich of Cascade; sisters, Nora Koch of Brooksville, Fla., Lorraine Hunter of Valley Springs, Calif., Adeline Yates of Great Falls; brothers, Jack Wiederrick of Belt, Frank Wiederrich of Great Falls, Robert Wiederrich of Burbank, Calif., Lester Wiederrich of Poway, Calif.; daughters, Darlene Ward of Lodi, Calif., Sheryl Mason of Lodi, Calif., and Sharon Odden of Great Falls; nine grandchildren; 11 Great Grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials to Howard's honor may be made to a person's choice.

Services and arrangements are under the direction of the Holland and Bonine Funeral Home.