Josephine (Bichler) Materi (1902 - 2006)

Born 8 Feb 1902 in Hague, Emmons County, North Dakota, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Jacob Materi — married 1 Nov 1920 in Emmons, North Dakota, United States

Died 31 Dec 2006 at age 104 in Strasburg, Emmons County, North Dakota, United States

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Biography

Josephine was born on the 8th day of February, 1902, in the small German-Russian immigrant community of Strasburg, N.D.

She was the sixth child born to Anna Mary (Burgad) and Joseph Bichler. John, Katherine, Mike, Margaret, and Magdalene preceded Josephine. Joseph, Anna Mary (Sister Fortunata), and Theresa were born after Josephine and only Theresa among these is still living.

Josephine grew, went to school, and married Jacob Materi in Strasburg, N.D.

Josephine and Jacob lived with his parents for a while and then bought their own little farm. Money was scarce during these depression years and babies kept coming. First there was Agnes and then two years later a succession of boys, all born approximately one year apart: Alex, Peter, Albert, Joseph and Baldwin. Five years later, Marie was born.

Josephine was a strong woman, all five feet of her. She worked in the fields, milked cows, grew an extensive garden, canned, pickled, raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys, cooked, baked, wall-papered, painted, sewed, crocheted, knit, embroidered, and made wine from choke cherries and root beer for the family.

She sang with gusto and liked having company. Space in the small house, with two tiny bedrooms and no electricity or in-door plumbing, was limited, but there was usually room to sleep on the living room floor which friends of the five boys used frequently.

Josephine had a strong faith in God although she seldom spoke about this. She went to confession regularly, and Sunday and holiday Masses were never missed. Every evening she and Jacob could be seen praying silently by the old oil stove in the living room before they went to bed.

Loss and pain were never far from Josephine's life Alex died in 1944 and Baldwin died in 1957. The move from the Strasburg farm to the city of Linton in 1960 was not an easy one for her. She became devoted to visiting the sick in the Linton hospital. Jacob died in 1978, Peter in 1984, and Agnes in 1985. Josephine survived the loss of four children and a husband.

Through it all she continued to plant her garden, play cards, visit the sick, pray her rosary, and participate in daily Mass. She remained firm in her faith. In 1998 Josephine moved to the Prairie Rose Apartments, two blocks from her home in Linton.

Giving up her Linton home of thirty eight years was a jarring loss for her and she fought the move mightily. She grieved, knit a baby afghan for the couple who rented her house, and walked over to the house to present the afghan to them. Josephine celebrated her one hundredth birthday in 2002. It was a gala community and family event with l00 balloons, 100 roses, accordion/piano music, German singing, much food and relatives and friends coming from far and near to honor her life. She danced at her birthday party. A few months later she suffered a broken hip, and after a total hip replacement, the Strasburg Care Center became her home until she died on December 31, 2006.

Sources

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17293692/josephine-materi : accessed 04 February 2022), memorial page for Josephine Bichler Materi (8 Feb 1902–31 Dec 2006), Find a Grave Memorial ID 17293692, citing Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery, Strasburg, Emmons County, North Dakota, USA ; Maintained by Jim J Schumacher (contributor 47092305) .