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- [S926] Find-A-Grave, (www.findagrave.com).
Perpatua Regina "Pet" Makelky Wirtz
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Birth: Mar. 2, 1918
Saskatchewan, Canada
Death: May 19, 2013
Mandan
Morton County
North Dakota, USA
Perpatua "Mac" Regina (Makelky) Wirtz quietly and peacefully joined her
beloved "Doc" in heaven while attending church services Sunday, May 19, 2013
at the Sanford Continuing Care Center off Collins, Mandan. She was 95 years
old.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013
at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Mandan, ND with Rev. Shane Campbell as
celebrant. Burial will be at Mandan Union Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Friday, May 24, 2013 from 4:00-8:00 pm at Weigel
Funeral Home, with a Rosary/Parish Vigil at 7:00 pm. Visitation will
continue at the church one hour prior to the service on Saturday.
Mac was born March 2, 1918 near Marienthal, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was
the second oldest child born to Anton and Veronica (Schnell) Makelky. She
and two other siblings came into the United States as young children with
their parents in a horse drawn wagon. The family moved to her father's
cousin's farm (John Frank) near Fallon, North Dakota in December of 1920.
The following month they moved to Mandan when her father got a job working
first for a local dray company and later the Northern Pacific Railroad. She
was baptized as Perpetua (after the saint) but changed the spelling to
Perpatua in 1935 when she became a U.S. Citizen. She explained that it had
been mispronounced or misspelled all her life. Most just knew her as Mac or
Pet.
Mac attended Mandan schools and graduated from Mandan High School in 1936.
She played basketball there all four years and was on the Courier yearbook
staff. After high school she went to work at the Wirtz Dental Clinic in
Mandan where she faithfully served for 52 years. Her duties there were
office manager and dental assistant, but everyone just called her "the Boss"
or "Sarge."
On October 14, 1989 she married the love of her life, George F. "Doc" Wirtz.
She was 71 and he was 85. They enjoyed travelling together and made numerous
trips around the world, often to Mexico where Doc was able to practice his
Spanish. She liked to talk about how good he was at it.
Mac had a keen interest in family and family matters, starting at an early
age when she took care of her severely burned brother Al and sister Emma.
She had a very close relationship with her brother Leo all through life,
especially during World War II when she was intensely interested in Leo's
Army Air Corps service and they corresponded regularly. She talked often of
how she stuck up for older brother Red when he got in trouble with their
parents. She had a strong allegiance to her sister Katie, who she said
protected and looked out for her when they were kids. Later in life she
became quite involved in the Makelky family reunions, rightfully claiming
her spot as "Matriarch" of the family. She provided planning assistance to
sister, Josephine, for the 2009 reunion in South Dakota.
She had an avid interest in history, especially World War II history, and
read extensively on that topic. She also liked to read books on U.S.
Presidents and had an impressive collection of those. She retained much of
the information she read and shared it with anyone willing to listen. In her
younger years, she was also good at sewing, something she learned from her
mother. She would entertain everyone with stories of her travels, family,
work, and friends. She also loved to go shopping with family and friends.
She was strong in her faith and a loyal supporter of St. Joe's Church.
During World War II, she formed a friendship with six other women whose
husbands were away at war. They got together regularly to go to movies and
even made trips to Minneapolis for shopping. For fun they called themselves
the "Seven Sinners." They were friendships that lasted a lifetime.
After Doc's passing in 1999, Mac lived in their home until August of 2009
when it was no longer safe for her to be alone. She moved into the Waterford
in Bismarck until November of 2011 when she moved to the nursing home - back
home in Mandan again. She was a strong-willed, intelligent and elegant
little lady who made sure you understood her point of view.
Mac is survived by her brother, Leo "Pugs" Makelky, Minot; her brother,
Alexander "Goldie" Makelky (Mary Ellen), Miles City; stepson, Dr. Richard
"Dick" (Vivian Berg) Wirtz, Cape Coral, FL; and many special nieces and
nephews.
Mac was preceded in death by her husband, George F. "Doc"; her parents;
brother, Henry "Red" Makelky; sisters, Kathryn "Katie" Kessel, Amelia "Emma"
Haider, Josephine "Jo" Walery and Anna who died in infancy.
Cards for the family may be sent to Mark Makelky at 6835 Kingswood Road,
Bismarck, ND 58503. Suggested memorials would be to the Church of Saint
Joseph at 108 3rd St NE, Mandan, ND 58554 or the North Dakota Veterans
Cemetery Foundation at 1825 46th St, Mandan, ND 58554.
Source: Weigel Funeral & Cremation Services
Family links:
Parents:
Anton L Makelky (1891 - 1961)
Veronica Schnell Makelky (1896 - 1981)
Spouse:
George F Wirtz (1903 - 1999)
Burial:
Mandan Union Cemetery
Mandan
Morton County
North Dakota, USA
Created by: Tom Dietz
Record added: May 30, 2013
Find A Grave Memorial# 111462457
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1918 - 2013 (95 years)