Mattie Lou Weckerly
Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Mattie Lou Curry Weckerly, 87, Hurdsfield, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 21, 2020 at her home with her three children by her side. She took her last breath here on earth with the old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” playing in the background. A graveside service will take place on Saturday, November 28, 2020 at 2:00pm at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery south of Hurdsfield. This service will be livestreamed on the following link: https://youtu.be/qPdPvhQqlrs . Public visitation will be held Friday, November 27, from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. at the Nelson Funeral Home in Fessenden. CDC recommendations including social distancing, hand sanitizing, wearing a mask and staying away if not feeling well are encouraged. Online condolences may be shared at nelsonfuneralhomesnd.com
Mattie Lou Curry, daughter of W. P. and Dollie (Smith) Curry, was born January 10, 1933 in Rotan, TX. She grew up and attended Rotan Public Schools, graduating in 1950. After high school, Lou enrolled at the Lillie Jolly School of Nursing in Houston and received her two-year degree. She then enrolled at Baylor University in Waco, Texas to get her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing Education. It was during this time that Lou met her future husband, Norman Weckerly. They met while she was working a shift at the hospital. They were married September 8, 1956 in the First Baptist Chapel in Waco. Lou continued her education and in 1957, after receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she and Norman moved to a farm south of Hurdsfield, ND and became involved in the Weckerly family farming and ranching operation. They moved to the Goodrich area in 1969 and to Bismarck in 1976 before returning to Hurdsfield where they have resided since.
Lou was a woman of strong faith in God. While attending the Methodist church in Goodrich, she loved working with the youth group. Also during this time, she was active with the United Methodist Women locally and statewide. She also got a job teaching Licensed Practical Nurses in Harvey at St. Aloisius and taught obstetrics. She loved working with the young nurses and over the years would always get joy out of seeing them still working or just running into them on the street.
She had many highlights and travels, having visited all 50 states, and in 1978 she traveled with her daughter and the Bismarck High School choir to Romania. Then in the mid-1980s she was able to go on a mission trip to Zimbabwe to help at the Methodist-founded Africa University. Around 1995 her volunteer work increased with the United Methodist women as she joined the global board and became the position point for disaster relief for the state of North Dakota. Normally this was not a busy job but with the Red River Flood of 1997, she was on the phone constantly working to coordinate help to the area. This is when the house got a phone upgrade...call waiting so Norman could get through when he needed something.
During her time in Bismarck, she enjoyed singing with a group called the Sweet Adelines. She also managed some apartments that she and Norman owned and worked part-time typing physicals for the National Guard.
Lou also loved flowers and made some beautiful flower gardens over the years. Friends and family always knew to check out her flowerpots and flower beds. Then the next interest for her naturally was the birds that would hang around her flowers. So Norman would hang bird feeders out behind their house on the trees to attract more birds for her to watch. She involved her grandchildren in gardening as well, teaching them to appreciate growing, harvesting and cooking from her vegetable garden. She liked to go fishing with her grandsons and even purchased a fishing boat so they could take her out on the water.
For over twenty years, Lou enjoyed spending time with family and friends at their condo in Port Aransas, TX. She made many good memories there and loved collecting seashells, some especially unique ones that her daughter has never found again.
Her family is most grateful for all the unconditional love she has shown us over the years. She loved us like God loves us. And thankfully she has had many added to the family over the years to show this love to by giving a hug, sending a card, going on a shopping trip, cooking something special like her well-loved southern fried chicken, or sewing a Halloween costume or special blanket.
Lou is survived by her husband of 64 years, Norman; son, Terry (Wanda) Weckerly of Hurdsfield; Shari (Keith) Arnold of Austin, TX and Susan (Hans) Schell of Littleton, CO; grandchildren Chad (Tessa) Weckerly, Hurdsfield, ND; Cody (Christia) Weckerly, Casselton, ND, Elizabeth (Justin) Stinus, Nashville, TN and Christian, Ian and Morgan Schell, Littleton, CO; granddaughter-in-law Theresa Weckerly, Milford, IA; great-grandchildren Reagan, Elise, Benjamin, and Oliver Weckerly, Hurdsfield, ND; Isabel, Tristan, and Madeline Weckerly, Milford, IA; Cayden, Sierra, Prairie, Teigan, and Isla Weckerly, Casselton, ND and two sisters, Lois Rushing of Houston TX and Sue (Frank) Vaughan, Rockwall, TX.
She is preceded in death by a baby daughter; her parents; grandsons, Keith Benton Arnold III and Cole Weckerly; brothers Will Curry, Jr. and Dean Curry; and sister, Kathleen Rinehart.