Obituary for Mary Stricherz
Mary J. (Ries) Stricherz passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 17, 2022, after a brief illness.
Visitation will be from 5-7 pm, with a scripture service at 6:00 pm, on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am, Thursday, September 22, 2022 at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg with Father Christopher Hughes as celebrant. Leroy Mack will be the cantor accompanied by Eileen Lindner.
Burial will be at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Waverly, SD.
Casketbearers will be Mary's grandchildren: Joye Schmeling, Tina Christofferson, Darrell Martin, Jake Stricherz, Meranda Turbak and Miranda Russell.
Honorary Casketbearers will be Phyllis Jellis, Clarice Thyen, Ramona Spartz and numerous God children.
Mary Jeanette (Ries) Stricherz was born December 17, 1929 to Peter and Bernice (Fehlman) Ries at the family farm near Goodwin, SD. She attended school at Holy Rosary School in Kranzburg, SD until 10th grade. She worked on the family farm with her 8 younger siblings. She helped new parents with babysitting and housekeeping in the Kranzburg and Goodwin communities before moving to Watertown where she worked at National Tea Grocery Store.
She married Darrell Francis Stricherz on June 3, 1952 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. They lived in various communities including Henry, SD and Fairfax, MN before settling down on the Stricherz family farm near Waverly, SD. They had 9 children, who Mary raised as a single-parent after Darrell passed away in 1967 when the children ranged in age from 14 years to 10 months. She remained on the farm until 1977 when she built a house on the highest point of the M & St. L Railroad between Watertown and Minneapolis. She worked as a cook at Waverly School, Regal Café and The Pit Stop in Watertown, and Rauville Café. In 1986 she earned her GED. She retired from Minnesota Rubber in 1994.
She taught CCD classes at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Waverly for many years. She was active in Holy Rosary Catholic Church. She enjoyed bowling, playing pinochle, coffee clutch with the Minnesota Rubber ladies, and dancing. No family function was complete without Mary's potato salad. She and her best friend, Phyllis Jellis would attend Salvation Army concerts and hoe-downs across northeastern South Dakota.
Mary is survived by her four remaining children, Paulette (Scott) Schmeling, New Ulm, MN; Tom (Donna) Stricherz, Waverly; LeaAnn (Bob Benson) Manke, Mitchell, SD; and Todd Stricherz, Bryan, TX; son-in-law, Randy Gudarian, Kranzburg; daughters-in-law, Kathy Minatra, Waverly; and Lynelle Stricherz, Ignacio, CO; 24 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandson; siblings, Mavis (Don) Brink, Watertown; Evelyn Hopgood, Glenn Heights, TX; Janice (John) Flemming, Ankeny, IA; Millie Krauth, Breckinridge, MN; Bobbi (Roger) Wolford, Fort Mohave, AZ; John (Bev) Ries, Grove, OK; and Bonnie (Ray) Unzen, Savage, MN; and dozens of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Bernice Ries; husband, Darrell Stricherz; children Tim, Tad, Terry, and Trent Stricherz and Darla Gudarian; sisters, Vivian and Helen Ries; brothers-in-law, Dick Thyen, Vernon Krauth and Jimmy Hopgood; 1 grandchild and 3 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, 200 S. Park Road, Suite 100, Hollywood, FL 33021.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.
Visitation will be from 5-7 pm, with a scripture service at 6:00 pm, on Wednesday, September 21, 2022 at Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel in Watertown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 am, Thursday, September 22, 2022 at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Kranzburg with Father Christopher Hughes as celebrant. Leroy Mack will be the cantor accompanied by Eileen Lindner.
Burial will be at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery, Waverly, SD.
Casketbearers will be Mary's grandchildren: Joye Schmeling, Tina Christofferson, Darrell Martin, Jake Stricherz, Meranda Turbak and Miranda Russell.
Honorary Casketbearers will be Phyllis Jellis, Clarice Thyen, Ramona Spartz and numerous God children.
Mary Jeanette (Ries) Stricherz was born December 17, 1929 to Peter and Bernice (Fehlman) Ries at the family farm near Goodwin, SD. She attended school at Holy Rosary School in Kranzburg, SD until 10th grade. She worked on the family farm with her 8 younger siblings. She helped new parents with babysitting and housekeeping in the Kranzburg and Goodwin communities before moving to Watertown where she worked at National Tea Grocery Store.
She married Darrell Francis Stricherz on June 3, 1952 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. They lived in various communities including Henry, SD and Fairfax, MN before settling down on the Stricherz family farm near Waverly, SD. They had 9 children, who Mary raised as a single-parent after Darrell passed away in 1967 when the children ranged in age from 14 years to 10 months. She remained on the farm until 1977 when she built a house on the highest point of the M & St. L Railroad between Watertown and Minneapolis. She worked as a cook at Waverly School, Regal Café and The Pit Stop in Watertown, and Rauville Café. In 1986 she earned her GED. She retired from Minnesota Rubber in 1994.
She taught CCD classes at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Waverly for many years. She was active in Holy Rosary Catholic Church. She enjoyed bowling, playing pinochle, coffee clutch with the Minnesota Rubber ladies, and dancing. No family function was complete without Mary's potato salad. She and her best friend, Phyllis Jellis would attend Salvation Army concerts and hoe-downs across northeastern South Dakota.
Mary is survived by her four remaining children, Paulette (Scott) Schmeling, New Ulm, MN; Tom (Donna) Stricherz, Waverly; LeaAnn (Bob Benson) Manke, Mitchell, SD; and Todd Stricherz, Bryan, TX; son-in-law, Randy Gudarian, Kranzburg; daughters-in-law, Kathy Minatra, Waverly; and Lynelle Stricherz, Ignacio, CO; 24 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great grandson; siblings, Mavis (Don) Brink, Watertown; Evelyn Hopgood, Glenn Heights, TX; Janice (John) Flemming, Ankeny, IA; Millie Krauth, Breckinridge, MN; Bobbi (Roger) Wolford, Fort Mohave, AZ; John (Bev) Ries, Grove, OK; and Bonnie (Ray) Unzen, Savage, MN; and dozens of nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Bernice Ries; husband, Darrell Stricherz; children Tim, Tad, Terry, and Trent Stricherz and Darla Gudarian; sisters, Vivian and Helen Ries; brothers-in-law, Dick Thyen, Vernon Krauth and Jimmy Hopgood; 1 grandchild and 3 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated to Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, 200 S. Park Road, Suite 100, Hollywood, FL 33021.
Arrangements by Wight & Comes Funeral Chapel, www.wightandcomes.com.