Rosalie Ostendorf, age 98, of Miles City

THE SERVICE HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR Saturday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church

Rosalie Ostendorf, 98, wife of Theodore (Ted), mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, December 8, 2022. Funeral Services will be held at 1 pm, December 20, 2022, at the First Presbyterian Church of Miles City, with a reception to follow downstairs. Memorials may be made to the Range Riders Museum, The Miles City Public Library, the First Presbyterian church of Miles City, Alzheimer’s research, or the charity of your choice. Rosalie was born Rosa Marie Stoerchli in Seattle, Washington, on April 14, 1924, to George Ulrich Stoerchli II, a Swiss immigrant from Schaffhausen and his wife Edith Mckay Earl Stoerchli who was born in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She joined her older sister Ella Mae at the family home on 45th and Aurora and they were soon joined by brother George. She was called “Rosie,” and also “Rosalie (little rose in Swiss)” in memory of her dad’s younger sister. As a young adult, her friends called her “Ro.” Most of us knew her as Rosalie, Grandma or Mom. Church and faith were an important part of Rosalie’s life from the beginning. Although Rosalie was baptized at the downtown First Presbyterian Church, as a child she walked to Sunday School at the Lutheran church across the street on Aurora. An important family tradition was walking 5 miles to the outdoor Easter Sunrise service with her dad carrying picnic supplies. Rosalie recalled her life growing up in Seattle in the Depression fondly. She and her brother and sister would walk to Woodland Park and Green Lake where they had swimming lessons in the “cold, cold, water!” They lived near many of her mother’s older brothers and their families. As a child, she recalled Boeing Company Christmas parties where her father worked as an engineering draftsman and the dolls that Mrs. Boeing handed out to the girls. Her father was laid off during the Depression and eventually returned to work at the Bremerton Shipyards. One recurring childhood story was the traumatic end of her neighborhood by the construction of a highway diagonal which took many houses of friends and neighbors and even cut off the porch of their 3-story Dutch colonial house.

Rosalie graduated from Lincoln High School in 1942 where she was the sports editor on the newspaper staff and played violin in their orchestra. For a time, she and her brother found work at one of the first drive-in places in Seattle, Broom’s Finest Hamburgers. George peeled potatoes for clam chowder and she delivered meals to people in their cars. Together they bought a 1936 Plymouth they named Betsy who was later immortalized in a poem by her mom. During the War, Rosalie volunteered for a USO committee which provided respite trips and dances for the military personnel. After high school, she found UW classes to be much too large, so she switched to secretarial school. Before finishing she tried a variety of jobs including a bucker at Boeing opposite the riveter – so she was very nearly a Rosie Riveter! She had several “interesting” secretarial jobs and was one of the first to use an electric typewriter as well as learning to run the phone switchboard. One of the many friends she made while working as a secretary was Hortense Ostendorf. After the war, Rosalie decided she still wanted to be a home ec teacher and enrolled at Western Washington College in Bellingham in September 1947. There she met a strong group of friends, joined the Women’s Recreation Association and played violin in the college symphony. Many of those friendships lasted a lifetime with letters, phone calls and visits over the years.

In the spring of 1949, Hortense Ostendorf Rolf, now newly married, asked Rosalie to accompany her on a family trip to Nebraska. On that trip she met Ted, and they danced and danced! Within two weeks, they were in love. Before she returned to Seattle, Ted bought a ring and asked her to marry him, so she went home to Seattle and planned a wedding. Ted and Rosalie were married in Seattle on September 10, 1949. Following a wedding trip home through Yellowstone Park, they made their home at the Ostendorf ranch on the Powder River at Mizpah and were married for almost 60 years. When asked why she said yes to a rancher from Southeastern Montana and changed her whole life – leaving everything that she had known, her schooling, her large family in Seattle, Rosalie said, “He was the one. We were in love.” It was a relationship that built a family and lasted a lifetime, giving a real example of what can happen “all because two people fell in love.”

Ted and Rosalie worked and managed the cattle ranch with his father Ignatz. Rosalie adapted to cooking on a wood stove and managing without electricity which would not arrive at the ranch until the 50’s. She began gardening hoping to add some green to the cabin yard planting trees, bushes, flowers and of course, vegetables for cooking and canning. In 1950 Ted and Rosalie welcomed their first child, Karen Mary followed by a son Thomas Steven (1954), Marla Lynne (1958) and the youngest Mark John (1968).. During those years, the family was focused on friends, ranching and various activities including 4-H, FFA, Make-It-With Wool, range days, Home Demonstration Club, church, and always music. Rosalie moved to a town house with the kids in the early 60’s, and graduated from Miles Community Junior College with a teaching certificate. She taught at Horton, Kircher and Garfield schools. As his father’s health declined up until his death in 1970, Ted took over the ranch and expanded their home to its current size. Rosalie moved home with the younger kids who went to Riverview, and then boarded in town for high school.

With the older kids grown and starting their own families, Ted and Rosalie began to travel – including a trip to Switzerland and Germany to connect with their relatives. They joined the Miles City Club, traveled to many Oktoberfests, and later the Southeastern Fiddlers association where Ted played guitar and fiddle and Rosalie turned her violin skills to fiddling. She played violin in the newly formed Miles Community Orchestra. As always, they loved to dance and took every chance they could to do so. Rosalie continued gardening, sewing, quilting, knitting and cooking/baking. They joined the First Presbyterian Church in Miles City. She also was active in the Cowbelle and Cattlewomen associations. There were many challenges as a mother and ranchwife, and also many joys with brandings and shippings in the neighborhood, school plays, high school events, all filled with food, fun, and laughter with family and friends. Rosalie had a kind heart and often privately reached out to people around her in many different ways. She loved her grandkids and tried to attend everything they were involved with, whether 4H or FFA, sporting events, concerts, piano recitals, and school plays.

In 2000 she typed together a collection of her favorite recipes into her computer, and printed over 100 bound copies at the Star for friends and families as gifts with family favorites such as Lemon Merengue Pie, and Barbara Mandrell Cake. At the age of 80 Rosalie survived breast cancer and for a time moved into town to stay with her granddaughter Mollie for radiation. As they reached their golden years, Ted slowed down and passed the ranching operations on to his son Mark. Rosalie cared for Ted at home for a number of years until he passed away in 2009. Rosalie continued to be involved with family, friends, and church but her dancing partner had passed, and her in town activities lessened. She continued to live out on the family ranch, baking, cooking, gardening, quilting then crocheting, watching the Denver Broncos and Seattle Mariners, helping with grandkids. She often made extended visits to stay with her daughter Marla in Big Sandy. She enjoyed many trips in the family RV to weddings, vacations and baseball games in Seattle. Rosalie suffered a stroke in 2021 at the age of 96, Her grandson Nolan moved into the household to be her caretaker in 2019 and continued to care for her afterwards. After the stroke, she remained at home, cared for by family, and despite her struggles told people daily how grateful she was, how happy she was to see them, and that she loved them and all the hugs. Even until her last week, she loved “good food” and preferred coffee above all other drinks!

Rosalie was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Ted Ostendorf, her parents, George and Edith Stoerchli II, her brother George, his wife Bertha, her sister, Ella Mae Walton, and many good friends and sisters of the heart.

She is survived by her 4 children Karen (Fred) Drga, Tom (Lillian) Ostendorf, Marla (Jim) Drga, Mark (Christina) Ostendorf and 12 grandchildren: Nola (John) Rocha, Mollie (Aaron) Phipps, Karl (Ashli) Drga, Martha (Mike) Mintz, Steven (Allie) Ostendorf, Kyra (Dustin) Werner, John (Sarah) Drga, David (Stephanie) Drga, Scott (Hannah) Drga, Nolan, Rosemarie and Carson Ostendorf and 15 great-grandchildren Robert and Michael Phipps, Cooper and Madeline Mintz, John and Jacob Rocha, Brynn, Lane, Tucker and Lucas Drga, Kalina and Davis Werner, Emily Drga, and Levi and Andrew Drga.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Miles City, Montana with a reception following at the church. Condolences can be made to the family be visiting www.steveonandsons.com.

Service Schedule

Memorial Service

1:00 PM

Saturday April 22, 2023

First Presbyterian Church

1401 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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Reception

Following the Memorial Service

Saturday April 22, 2023

First Presbyterian Church

1401 Main Street

Miles City, Montana 59301

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