EUGENE REICHELT obituary

BIG SANDY - Eugene D. "Gene" Reichelt, 78, of Great Falls, a former Big Sandy farmer and business-

man, died Saturday, June 28, 2003, at a Great Falls hospital of natural causes.

Visitation was today at Schnider

Funeral Home in

Great Falls. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Christ Lutheran Church in Big Sandy, with burial with military honors in Big Sandy Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at the church.

Gene was born on April 21, 1925, at Verona to Benjamin and Jennie (Larson) Reichelt. he attended school at Verona until the fifth grade, when he went to Big Sandy Schools. He graduated in 1943.

He married Frances Henderson on March 20, 1943, at Havre.

Gene went into the service in October 1943. he served with the 10th Mountain Division throughout the Italian campaign during World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star and was honorably discharged in February 1946.

He farmed west of Big Sandy until he owned and operated Gene's Hardware Store. He managed the Farmers Union Elevator before moving to Glasgow in 1972. The couple went to Saudi Arabia in June 1976, where they spent six years. They retired in 1984 in Great Falls.

Gene enjoyed baseball and was instrumental in organizing the first Little League team in Big Sandy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, one sister and one son-in-law.

Survivors include his wife, Frances Reichelt of Great Falls; son, Wayne Reichelt of Havre; daughters, Nancy Cronin of Havre and Carol Danreuther of Carter; brothers, Raymond Reichelt of Fort Benton, Donald Reichelt of Big Sandy and Calvin Reichelt of Lynnwood, Wash.; sister, Mardella Jordan of Bozeman; 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Gift of Life Housing in Great Falls or the Shriner's Hospital.