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GEORGIANA BRAIN, Obituary

CHESTER Georgiana M. "Georgie" Brain, 91, died Monday, Sept. 2, 2002, at a Chester hospital.

Vigil services will be 7 p.m. today at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chester. The funeral mass will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will follow at the Chester Cemetery.

Georgie was born Oct. 27, 1910, at Cleveland, N.D., to Andrew and Hattie (Lutz) Sonnek. She received her early education at Cleveland, then finished her schooling Bismarck, where she attended Normal Teacher's College and earned her teaching certificate. She taught at a country school near Cleveland for two years, then came to Montana in 1931.

Georgie was teaching at the Hay Coulee Country School south of Chester when she met a local farmer, Orval L. Brain. They were married May 21, 1932, at Hingham. They made their home on the Brain farm and raised three daughters. They spent their entire married life on the farm except the years 1957-1961, when they wintered in Great Falls. In 1976, Orval died. Georgie remained strong and independent in the years that followed.

She lived 70 years on the farm before moving to an assisted-living center in Chester in May 2002. She transferred to a nursing home for extended care in August.

Georgie was an active member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Altar Society in Chester. She was also a past member of the Liberty County Cowbelles.

Georgie loved flowers and gardening, was a charter member of the Chester Garden Club and had also been active in the Rainbow Garden club in Great Falls. In addition, she earned accreditation as a master floral judge for the National Federation of Garden Clubs and recently was awarded a certificate as judge emeritus. She completed a Dale Carnegie course in public speaking so she would be better prepared to present floral demonstrations and judge floral projects. She was artistic and innovative in floral design.

Georgie was an avid reader and loved to write poetry. She enjoyed playing cards, especially pinochle. She collected Madonna figurines and owls and was an exceptional cook.

She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; sister, Marguerite Norby; brothers, Armond, Kenneth and Ronald Sonnek; stepsister, Luella Schwab; stepbrothers, Henry and Matt Ganser; and great-grandson, Kevin Osterman.

Survivors include her daughters, Marguerite (Merle) Bivens of Irvine, Calif., JoAnn (Tom) Osterman of Chester, and Carol (Dan) Riley of Marion; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; two-great-great-granddaughters; stepsister, Sister Anne Martina Ganser of Crookston, Minn.; and three nephews.

Arrangements are by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.

 

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