January 26, 2016

Katherine Paschke

Katherine Elizabeth Melland Paschke, previously of Fairview, died in Billings, Mont., Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016. Funeral services were held at the Trinity Lutheran Church, in Sidney, on Thursday, at 10 a.m., MST., followed by burial of Katherine’s body at the Fairview Cemetery, and a meal at Fairview’s St. Johns Lutheran Church. All of Katherine’s friends, former students, family, and relatives were invited to a time of remembering her, at Fulkerson Funeral Home in Sidney, at 6 p.m. MST, on Wednesday.
Of her life, Katherine wrote the following:
The daughter of John Krist Melland and Elizabeth Neer Melland, I was born July 28, 1926, in Kyle, Saskatchewan. That was where my parents, together with my older brother, Clarence, moved to in Canada, in 1923, where they began a farming operation. They farmed with horses, raised livestock, and grew wheat. It was a very fertile and productive area. But, because of the Great Depression of the 1930s, they left their farm, machinery, livestock, and friends, and, with only their household goods, returned to the United States, in 1933, after 10 years in Canada. We settled in Alexander, near Mom’s parents, Arthur and Cora Neer. Granddad Neer owned and operated the Occident Feed Mill in Alexander, a fun place to spend time. I have very fond memories of being near to my grandparents. I began school in Alexander, graduating in 1945 (added by Ted: Mom was valedictorian of her class.)  
I grew up attending Alexander’s Trinity Lutheran Church, and was confirmed there.
After high school, I attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, for a year, and then transferred to Minot State Teachers College, graduating with my elementary teaching certificate. Over the years, I attended summer school and took extra-credit college courses.
In the fall of 1947, I began teaching grade six in the Fairview School System.
In December, of 1948, I married David Paschke, who had just begun farming, after spending four years in the Army in the South Pacific, during World War II. I decided to suspend teaching for a time so we could begin our family. My daughter, Deberah Kay, was born in 1950, and my son, Ted, was born in ’s54. Sometime in the middle 1960s, I returned to work at school in Fairview. I substitute taught briefly before returning fulltime as elementary librarian.
David died in 1970. I continued living on the farm, and working at the school. I married Henry Paschke, David’s older brother, in 1973, and continued to teach before retiring to the farm where Henry had a cattle feeding operation. I had been a member of Zion Lutheran Church since coming to Fairview, but Henry and I joined St. John Lutheran Church in 1997. Henry died in 2001. We had been married just short of 28 years.  
In 2013, I left my farm home, and moved to Billings, where I have lived at Sweetwater Retirement Community.
Having always loved and appreciated music, I enjoyed directing junior and adult choirs at church.  
For years, I taught Sunday School.  I really enjoyed the kids at school and at church. I especially enjoyed leading the ladies’ Bible studies. I’ve always had a curiosity about life, the meaning of Gods Word and its application in my life.
Yard work was always fun, although demanding, and I love the beauty of flowers.
Like my mother and my grandmother, I have always found great satisfaction in knitting, crocheting, embroidering, and sewing. And I learned to paint, eventually teaching adult oil painting art classes, and producing a number of landscape scenes.
People have always been welcome in my home.
I have been privileged to have a host of friends, and I believe that to have friends you must first “be” one.
Life is sometimes hard to understand, but I do believe God had a purpose in mind when He created me, and I like to think that perhaps others have been able to see my faith in Jesus Christ, as I lived the days of this life, and I feel so grateful for the many, many blessings God has granted me - family and friends. But, I am especially thankful for the assurance He has given me of knowing I am going to be able to spend an eternity with Him. Praise be to God. (Added by Ted: Mom personally received Christ as Savior when she was young. She was born again.)
Katherine was preceded in death by her parents; both husbands; her daughter; and her brother. She is survived by her son Ted and his wife Anita; as well as her three step-children, Jay (and his wife Nancy), Jewel, and Jon. Also surviving Katherine are two step-granddaughters;  Indira and Melissa, and her former daughter-in-law, Shirley; brothers- and sisters-in-law, along with many nephews and nieces.
 

WATFORD CITY WEATHER