MARY ANN REICHELT, Obituary

LOMA Mary Ann Reichelt, 85, Loma, died from Cancer on Wednesday, July 3, 2002.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at United Methodist Church in Big Sandy with burial to follow at Big Sandy Cemetery. Luncheon to follow the burial at the church.

Mary was born March 11, 1917, in Hopp, southeast of Big Sandy. She graduated from Big Sandy High School and received a teaching diploma from Northern Montana College in Havre. She taught school for a total of 11 years in various locations throughout Chouteau County. Her teaching experiences in these one-room country school houses included assignments in Cantigny School around the Hopp community, Kabo, Eskay, the Cofield School in the Hawarden area east of Geraldine, the Ridge School east of Fort Benton.

During World War II, Mary worked in several different locales, doing whatever she could to help the country out in its time of need. In 1943, she worked at the Remington Small Arms plant in Salt Lake City inspecting new cartridge shells. In late 1944, she went to San Francisco where she lived with her sister, Mildred, and brother-in-law, Garry Grover, at The Presidio. She got a job there with the counter-intelligence branch of the Army, screening letters to and from soldiers. When that department was transferred to Salt Lake City, Mary got a job at Letterman General Hospital as a clerk/receptionist. She thoroughly enjoyed that job and seeing all the wonderful sights around the area.

She later moved to Burbank, Calif., with her sister and brother-ion-law, but was homesick for Montana. Upon her return, she was again recruited to teach school, this time at Square Butte. She transferred to Midway School north of Loma in 1948.

It was during her teaching assignment at Midway School that she met and married Raymond Reichelt on June 17, 1950, in Havre. They made their home of 52 years on a farm north of Loma.

Mary loved tending her garden and flowers and was famous for her towering hollyhocks. She enjoyed listening to music and loved to dance. Many of her fondest memories were of the various community dances held at Osterman's Grove in Hopp and at the Kenilworth Hall.

She was an active member of the Methodist Church in Big Sandy and a community women's hobby club, the Spring Coulee Hobby Club. She had also been a member of the Rebekahs.

Mary is survived by her husband, Raymond Reichelt of Loma; son, Ted (Heather) Reichelt of Portland, Ore.; daughter, RaeNita (Peter) Yurgensen of Paden, Okla.; sisters, Bessie Burgess of Eugene, Ore., Mildred Grover of Brentwood, Calif., Vlasta Bramlette of Floweree; brother, Stanley Pleninger of Big Sandy; granddaughters, Risa and Rory Reichelt of Portland, Ore.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Holland and Bonine Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.