Marie Maus

Funeral Mass for Marie A. Maus, 88, of Beach will be 10:00 a. m. Thursday, January 11, 2007 at St. John?s the Baptist Catholic Church in Beach, ND. Rev. David Richter will officiate at the Mass, with music provided by the men?s choir under the direction of Elaine Zachman. Serving as pallbearers will be nine of her grandsons: Larry Kautzman, Chris Darr, Jerry Trotter, Joshua Maus, Ben Murphy, Scott Reiter, Brock Maus, John Maus, and Nicholas Hylla. Marie will be buried beside her husband at St. Michael?s Cemetery near Sentinel Butte. Visitation will be from 2:00 p. m. to 9:00 p. m. at St. John?s the Baptist Catholic Church with Rosary and Vigil Services taking place at 8:00 p. m. Marie died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, January 7, 2007, at St. Benedict?s Health Center in Dickinson where she had been a resident for the last six months. Marie Antoinette Tescher was born on February 10, 1918, on the family farm seven miles northeast of Sentinel Butte, to Mathias and Antionette Gass Tescher. She attended the Camel Hump School through seventh grade when she passed a proficiency test that granted her a diploma, concluding her formal education at age 13. The second of 15 children and the oldest daughter, Marie then stayed at home to help her mother raise her growing family. She worked in the house and garden and helped with farm chores such as milking. She helped shock grain and drove a team of horses when needed. At age 17, she went to Seattle, WA, to help an aunt with her children. While in Seattle, she took a course in tailoring and remaking used clothing, and this ignited a love of sewing in her. Throughout the years she sewed garments, but she loved sewing quilts the most. Growing up during the Depression taught her thrift, and she recycled many garments and fabrics in her quilts. Marie married Ben Maus on September 10, 1938, at St. Michael?s Catholic Church in Sentinel Butte, the same church where she was baptized as an infant 20 year earlier. They lived on a farm north of town for several years, then moved to Golva where they lived briefly. When they returned to the Sentinel Butte area to farm, Ben also managed Ben?s Bar, and Marie was a housewife. When her youngest child started school, Marie worked as the assistant cook at the school in Sentinel Butte for one year. She then started working in the laundry department at Home on the Range, and she enjoyed that job for 18 years, retiring in 1982 to stay home with Ben who had suffered a stroke. The Maus family moved to Beach in 1970, and Marie enjoyed six years as a resident of the Golden Valley Manor. A lifelong resident of the county, she knew everyone who lived there and had many built-in friendships when she moved there. She enjoyed the activities there, including crafts, playing cards and socializing. Marie and Ben had 10 children, and their home was always a busy hub of activity. Many nieces and nephews stayed with them while attending school and other waited there after school for rides to their rural homes. One niece said Marie was like a second mother to her. Though Marie had a limited education, she had a strong grasp of the English language and enjoyed reading newspapers and magazines. Her children remember her reading a chapter a day from the classics to them at bedtime. She read the newspaper aloud to residents of the Manor while living there and she was a lector at church. She worked the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper until she moved to the nursing home. Marie?s Catholic faith was the basis of her life, and she was very comfortable in her relationship with God. Marie was active in the alter society and the Catholic Daughters. She was also active in the Home Sentinels Homemakers Club and the Senior Citizens. Marie said she had only two regrets in life ? she did not go to high school and she did not learn to drive. She passed on her love of education to her offspring and she was very proud of them and their achievements. She had a deep love for her brothers and sisters and enjoyed their company. Surviving are her 10 children: Marie Anne Kautzman of St. Louis, MO, Margaret (Ed) Darr of Culbertson, MT, Linda Trotter of Fargo, ND, Mike (Mary) Maus of Dickinson, ND, Sheila Murphy of Killdeer, ND, Ben (Elena) Maus of Corvallis, OR, Marsha (Ted) Reiter of Hatton, ND, Jim (Val) Maus of Plentywood, MT, Jack (Kathy) Maus of Grafton, ND, and Bernie (Mike) Hylla of Sauk Rapids, MN. Also surviving are 30 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren. She also has four step-grandchildren and five step-great-grandchildren. Surviving brothers and sisters are Cecelia Rutledge of Arizona, Alvin (Betty) Tescher of Beach, ND, Tom (Lorraine) Tescher of Beach, ND, Joan Kittelson of Beach, Dona (Jim) Lowman of Fairfield, ND, and Alice (John) Meginnes of Iowa. In-laws that survive include Loretta Tescher of Beach, Theresa Wicka of Wibaux, MT, Geraldine Maus of Golva, ND, and Minard (Donna) Maus of Nevada. Marie was preceded in death by her husband Ben who died in 1984, her parents, and brothers and sisters Pete Tescher, Toney Tescher, Antoinette Tescher (died in infancy), Jim Tescher, Rosemarie Brown Wienberger, Rosalie Lang, Donald Tescher, and Mathias Tescher (died in infancy). The family offers a special thank you to Rod and Diane Brown and their family for all they did for Marie throughout the years.


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Burial Date: January 11, 2007
Funeral Home Dickinson, ND

Funeral Mass: Thursday, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Beach