Angie Werner
Our Lord called Angie Werner, 101, home on April 28, 2023.
Valentine and Rosa (Schmidt) Bender welcomed their daughter, Angie, on December 24, 1921, who was born on the family farm at St. Anthony, ND. The following day, December 25th, Angie was baptized at St. Anthony Catholic Church.
Angie was the 8th child out of 17 children born to her parents. In November 1928, the family moved to the plains of Sioux County, near Selfridge, ND. They stayed with Joseph and Angelika Steckler’s family in a converted granary until their new home was built. It was here on the Steckler farmstead that Angie attended her first school. It was also during this time that Angie noticed a 13-yearold boy named John Steckler. In her words: “There was something about him I loved very much!” At the age of 14, the Benders left the dry, grasshopper-laden plains of ND for Yakima, Washington, where she continued in school. Angie also worked at various jobs such as babysitting for 15 cents a night, picking cherries, and harvesting hops to help her parents financially. She was hired at Del Monte Cannery in 1936, working the night shift for 7 seasons. In the fall of 1938, Angie wanted to continue her schooling but, instead, at the request of her mother, she gave up her dream of furthering her education, to help with the 9 siblings still remaining at home. In 1942, during WWII, Angie worked in Tacoma, WA, making bunk beds and barrels for the military.
On December 28, 1943, Angie married that cute boy she had her eye on when she was 6 years old! John Steckler and Angie were married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Yakima, WA, in a double wedding ceremony along with Angie’s brother, Joe Bender, and John’s sister, Rose Steckler. John and Angie returned to North Dakota, where they farmed together for 24 years near Dazey. They were blessed with 8 healthy children: 4 sons and 4 daughters. Angie kept very busy during those years, raising her family while working on the farm. After their farm auction in the spring of 1967, the Stecklers moved into Wimbledon. On December 13, 1967, her childhood sweetheart and husband John, passed away after a prolonged illness.
With 5 children still at home after her husband’s death, Angie worked in the cafe at Wimbledon, Spiritwood Lake, and Rogers. She also found employment at the Wimbledon School as a cook, janitor, and school bus driver. In addition to the jobs she obtained near Wimbledon, Angie traveled to the Jamestown State Hospital where she was employed as a cook. Angie’s strong work ethic was obvious to her employers as she was always willing to do whatever was asked of her. In her words: “I never thought a job or task was beneath me.”
On September 8, 1972, Angie married William Werner at St. Boniface Catholic Church. They farmed near Leal until 1992. They retired to their summer home on Lake Marion near Dent, MN and in Valley City, ND. William passed away on November 19, 2017.
Angie was very devoted to the Lord her entire life raising her children in the Catholic faith. She was also a kind, compassionate woman caring for her brothers and sisters, her husbands, family, and dear friends. She loved to laugh, tell jokes, play pinochle and card games of any type, fish, can fruits and vegetables, and work in her garden. Angie was an excellent cook and enjoyed making her famous German meals, caramel rolls, cookies, cakes, and bread. Although faced with many hardships and heartbreak, Angie loved life and thanked God for blessing her with a long Christ-filled life.
Those left behind to grieve: 4 sons: John (Julie), Missoula, MT; Thomas (Karon), Jamestown, ND; Jerome (Deb), Spiritwood, ND; Edward (Jenny), Minot, ND; 4 daughters: Janice (Gerry) Rubink, Columbia, SC; Diana (Stewart) Miller, Colorado Springs, CO; Angela (Clinton) Hoggarth, LaMoure, ND; Vicki (Michael) Buckley, Edenton, NC; one sister: Lily Smith, Tacoma, WA; 25 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.
Angie was preceded in death by her husbands: John and William, parents, 12 brothers, and 3 sisters, and one daughter-in-law, Jeanine (Lampert) Steckler.
The funeral mass for Angie will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 3, at St. Boniface Catholic Church, Wimbledon, with Father Sean Mulligan as celebrant. Visitation will be 5 – 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 02, with the rosary at 6:30 p.m. followed by the prayer service at 7 p.m. at the church. Visitation will continue one hour before the funeral. Interment will be later in the spring at St. Boniface Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to St. Boniface Catholic Church; the LaBrash-Altringer American Legion Post 236, Wimbledon, ND; or the charity of your choice.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Oliver Nathan Funeral Chapel, Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.olivernathanchapel.com