Annabell "Ann" M. Tesch

Annabell “Ann” Mary Tesch, a retired Business Representative for the United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local #8, died Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Great Falls Clinic Medical Center at the age of 90 from natural causes. Rosary will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church at 6pm, Monday, June 13 and funeral liturgy will be held at Holy Spirit at 10am, Tuesday, June 14. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. A celebration of Ann’s life at the Eagles Lodge will follow burial. Arrangements are in the care of O’Connor Funeral Home. Ann was born in Long Prairie, MN to Charles and Edna Geisenhof on October 12, 1925. She attended schools at Long Prairie and she worked as a sales clerk before marriage. On May 14, 1946, she married Bernard “Barney” Tesch at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church in Long Prairie. They farmed for one year and then moved to St. Cloud MN. In 1954 they moved to Havre, MT where she worked as a grocery clerk at the Super Save Market for three years. In 1955 she was elected president of the U.F.C.W. Union. In 1956 she was elected recorder for the Havre Trades and Labor Assembly and served until 1964 when they moved to Great Falls, MT but she continued to work for the Havre local union. In 1967 Ann was hired as Business Representative for the Great Falls local which included Havre, Conrad, Cut Bank, Shelby, and Lewistown. She worked for the union for 28 years. She was also recorder for the Labor Temple Association for several years and served as delegate to the Cascade County Trades 7 Labor Assembly from 1967 to 1980. Ann was appointed Notary Public by Governor Forest H. Anderson in 1972 and served until her retirement in 1983. She was interested in politics and was active in the Committee on Political Education “C.O.P.E.” She retired in 1983 to take care of Barney, who had suffered a stroke. She was dedicated to caring for him for seven years until he died in 1990. Ann was a life member of U.F.C.W. #8, a member of Senior Citizens, Eagles, Women of the Moose, St. Gerard’s Parish and Holy Rosary Circle. She was captain of St. Gerard’s calling committee for several years in the 1990’s and was awarded Mother of the Year in 1997. She was very active in the Moose Lodge and was elected treasurer for the Women of the Moose in 1990-92, appointed chairman for Educational Advance 1992-94, elected Senior Regent 1994-95 and received her Green Cap in Sidney. She served as Junior Graduate Regent 1995-96, received her Academy of Friendship Degree in 1996 in Conrad. She was elected recorder 1996-98 and was eligible for Star Recorder in 1998. Ann was instrumental in creating and organizing the weekly pinochle games at The Moose Lodge for a number of years and enjoyed preparing the main course for the games. Ann enjoyed gardening, flowers, sewing, crocheting, cooking, baking, crafts, dancing, playing cards and visiting with family and friends. The weekly card and dice games at her place were the highlights of her week in later years and a strong friendship was formed amongst the group. She lived in her own home until July of 2015 when she sold her home and moved to The Lodge. She is survived by three daughters, Judy (Stephen) Johnson of Helena, Cheryl (Charlie) Moore of Malta, and Collette Ovrom of Great Falls; son Bernie (Jo Beth) Tesch of Great Falls; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a sister, Marie Geisenhof of Long Prairie MN; and brothers Ed Geisenhof of Long Prairie and Lloyd Geisenhof of Little Falls MN. Ann also leaves behind her beloved friend, Glenda Evans; Moose friends, and card playing buddies. Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Edna Geisenhof; husband Barney; brothers Steve and Joe Geisenhof; sister Jeanette Perish; grandson Joseph B. Tesch; special companions Ed Hermann and Art Rossman; and son-in-law Arthur W. Ovrom.