Obituary - Annaliese (Gebert) Buholz

Annaliese (Gebert) Buholz died peaceably at her home Thursday evening, May 30, 2024, with her husband Neal by her side. This after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 86 years of age. Annaliese was called by many names: Ann, Annie, Anna, in addition to Annaliese. But the one she heard the most was from her husband: "Honey." And honey she was, sweet, with many attributes of the Spirit: love, kindness, generosity, patience, and care for others.

Annaliese was born on May 22, 1938, in a shack west of Harlem, Montana, near the Milk River. The Milk was in a flood stage that year, and the family could not reach their usual home. She was the middle child in age of a family of four girls and one boy. Her education was 12 years in the Harlem School System, and she graduated Valedictorian of her class. Because of this, she had a number of scholarships for continuing education, but she decided instead to start a working career to support herself and her husband-to-be.

Ann's faith walk began at an early age with Baptism at the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church of Harlem. When that Church folded, she and family transferred to the American Lutheran Church in Harlem. There she taught Sunday School, helped with the Kitchen, sang in the Choir, and much more. Ann was married at this same Church some years later on March 30, 1958. The couple moved about several times, eventually living in California for most of thirty years. Their Church Home was Grace Lutheran Church in Palo Alto, California, for most of that time. In 1994, they moved back to Montana and settled near Havre, Montana. She eventually completed a full circle by rejoining the Missouri Synod at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Havre, Montana. There the couple established a Video outreach Ministry in which she played a vital part. Her job was to operate the sound board, which fed the Church Public Address System, as well as the video production. Her continual support and good ideas made this Ministry flourish for 19 years. There was a note attached to her sound board with a picture which said "I am God's Little Lamb." In the last years, she still operated the sound equipment until the cancer made it painful for her to even attend Church. Nevertheless, in these last weeks, when she could not get up, she said she had to write the check for Church, and to see that Neal had all he needed at Church.

The first time I saw Anna was when two farmers met at a fence between farms. We were both 10 years old. She with her father, me with the neighbor. I clearly remember thinking who is this cute little blonde girl. She remembered it too. And seven years later, when I'd worked up enough guts to ask her to go with me to the prom, she replied "I'd love to." That did it, we were a couple from that time on. This relationship lasted for the better part of 70 years. During the years before our marriage, she worked for the JC Penny company as treasurer and bookkeeper. We both saved our money in anticipation of the needs of our married life.

After marriage, the couple eventually moved to Bozeman, Montana, where Neal started education for marketable skills to support his family. This took nine years altogether, four in Bozeman, then five more in California. In Bozeman, Annie's first child was born, a girl, Marjorie Ann. So this remarkable woman became Mother, supporter financially, and homemaker. She worked for the JC Penny Company exclusively until 1969. Following Neal's final degree, Ann was finally able to lay down the burden of working outside the home, as Neal went to work for Lockheed Missiles & Space Company in Sunnyvale, California. In 1972, Ann's second child was born, a boy, Russell Henry. A nice suburban home was purchased in Palo Alto, California, and she then had a good home and family to care for. In 1994, Neal retired, and the couple moved to property outside of Havre, Montana, where she lived until her death. During his 30-year period, she was busy processing the produce of our fruit trees, garden, and strawberries. One year we had over 2,000 apples, which she patiently cored and peeled one by one, to make applesauce, some of which is still being eaten today.

Annaliese is survived by her husband, Neal of Havre; her son, Russell Henry (Michelle) of Cupertino, California; sisters, Charlotte (Jeff) Burckhard of Havre, Madeline Witt of Great Falls and Elsie Bertelson of Harlem; and brother, Herman (Rita) Gebert of Harlem.