Obituary - Alma I. Seidel

Alma I. Seidel, 81, of Havre passed away on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2015, of natural causes at Benefis Medical Center in Great Falls.

Vigil services will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015, at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015, also at St. Jude Thaddeus, with Fathers Daniel Wathen and Curtis Seidel officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery.

Alma's family has requested that memorials be made in her name to Hill County 4-H, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School, or the charity of the donor's choice.

Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Please visit Alma's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Alma was born on the family farm near Joplin on May 2, 1934, to Jacob Levi and Almira (Hunt) Shettel. She attended school in Chester, graduating from Chester High School. Alma obtained her teaching degree from Northern Montana College in 1954. The following year, she taught in Box Elder.

In June 1955, Alma married Joe Seidel, and the couple's union was blessed with four children. They began their life together on his family's farm and moved to their current home west of Havre in 1967. Following their marriage, Alma taught at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School for 39 years. Due to changes in teaching requirements, Alma returned to college at Northern in the early 1970s and obtained her bachelor's degree in 1974. She retired in 2004.

Alma was very active in many organizations. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters, and spent 50 years as a 4-H leader, 60 years as a faithful, active member of St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church, and 23 years on the Hill County Fair Board.

Following her retirement, Alma and Joe enjoyed dancing at the senior center and attending the cattle sales in Chinook every Friday, and Alma took up quilting and painting. She absolutely loved teaching children, and playing with them became a favorite pastime of hers after she retired.

Alma was preceded in death by her son Steven Seidel in 2012; her granddaughter, Shannon Thrams in 1992; and her parents, Levi and Almira Shettel.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 60 years, Joe Seidel of Havre; her daughters, Shelma Seidel of Havre, and Sharla (Bryan) Thrams of Weldona, Colorado; her son Scott (Dana) Seidel of Havre; her seven grandchildren, Samantha (Tyler) Thompson, Father Curtis Seidel, Shandra (Matt) Thrams-West, Jayme Seidel, Trenna (Chris Peterson) Seidel, Shawn (Miguel) Thrams-Jeronimo, and Mercedes (Trygg Moog) Seidel; her three great-grandchildren, Avery and Fletcher Thompson, and Arya Jeronimo; her sister, Lela Didier of Chester; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.