Margaret Jane Friederich, 77, of Mitchell passed away Monday, Jan. 27, 2014 at Firesteel Healthcare Center, Mitchell.
Funeral services were Saturday, Feb. 1 at Frieden’s Reformed Church in Tripp. Visitation and a prayer service were held Friday, Jan. 31 at the Goglin Funeral Home, Tripp. Interment was in Frieden’s Reformed Cemetery, Tripp.
Margaret Jane Friederich was born on Nov. 17, 1936 to Arnold and Altha (Brenner) Semmler at Delmont. After graduating from Delmont High School she attended Springfield College and attained a teaching certificate in 1954.
On Jan. 14, 1955, she was united in marriage to Wallace Friederich at the First Lutheran Church in Mitchell. For four years, Margaret taught at a one-room country school. She later worked as a dietary aide at the Good Samaritan Center of Tripp for 22 years.
Margaret loved to write poetry and truly enjoyed preparing the Tripp GSC newsletter as the editor from 1993 to the present. She spent much of her time caring for her garden and yard and baking tasty treats, such as kuchen and peanut sticks, for her grandchildren. Throughout the years, she helped in many capacities in her church: as a Sunday school teacher, member of the church choir, and served as president, secretary, and committee member of the Women’s Guild over the past 56 years. She also served as a United Church of Christ delegate, as the Dean at Placerville Church Camp, and as a 14-year member of the West Unit Cancer Society.
Margaret is survived by her five children, Timothy Friederich, Terri (Rick) Mayer, Teresa (Aaron) Berndt, Thomas Friederich and James (Peggy) Lippert; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two brothers, Melvin (Lolly) Semmler and Clinton (Sherry) Semmler; two sisters, Sylvia (Dennis) Kunz and Sandra (Ron) Ruml; and one brother-in-law, Harold Bietz.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Arnold and Altha Semmler; a sister, Norma Bietz; and a daughter-in-law, Kathy Friederich.