Mary Louise Schlecht

She was the youngest of three children born to Grandpa John and Grandma Margie Hendricks, who were both of German descent making strong family ties and working the land together.

When Momma was 4 years old, her mother became pregnant with Uncle Billy. Unfortunately, Grandma contracted Tuberculosis and fell very ill. It was a very hard time for the family. In August of 1935 when the temperatures reached 106 degrees, Grandmas bed was taken out under the trees as the house was miserably hot.

Momma as a small child was given the task of staying with and caring for her mother while the others worked. She remembered they sang songs (mostly German), watched the birds, listened for the leaves which meant there might be a small breeze and made animals from the clouds. But most important to Momma was the job of washing Grandma with cool water and combing her beautiful hair.

When Grandma died giving birth to Billy, who died two weeks later, Momma was taken to a TB Sanitarium in Talihina, Oklahoma or Paul's Valley, as I have heard both. According to Uncle JC she was visited often by his father Uncle Midge, which felt sorry for the little girl left all alone. Momma never talked of the particular or time line but only of when her savior and life time hero, Brother Guy, came home from the war and brought her back.

She loved all of her brothers and sisters, to include not just Guy and Betty, but the children of Nanny King's (Grandma Margie's sister) Elbert, Pauline and Herman. Nanny King (Susie Belle) was a task master, and with more children than she bargained for, she was happy to have extra hands to keep everything spotless, including washing the walls and dragging Herman on jeans to wax the floors. By the way, according to legend, Herman as the baby never had to do anything but look cute.

Even as a young girl, Momma was described as sweet and soft spoken. She loved her Webster classmates and continued to spend time with them until last year. She reminisced about playing tennis, walking in the park, reading books, having sleep overs with her girlfriends, playing records, talking and dancing.

She spoke about double dating after the war with Uncle Bill and Aunt Betty. She had met my Dad and there are pictures of them together standing by Uncle Bill's great car, by the lake and on picnics.

Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill, who by the way had to give up his fancy car and airplane, were married until she passed. They had two wonderful children, Mark and Kathy.

Momma and Dad married, and I was born on her 21st birthday, crashing the party.

She was a single, hardworking mother and loyal friend. She stayed with Community Bank for 54 years where her customers trusted her to write their checks, pay their bills and balance their checkbooks.

I think the happiest day of Momma's life was February 5, 1982, when her grandson, Robert, came into this world. She stayed with us and prayed for him for 2 months. She was at a time in her life, married to the love of her life, Leo Schlecht, and by then a bank officer, when she could enjoy being Grandmother and spending hours holding and doting over him.

She and Leo bowled together, played cards and board games with many friends and enjoyed times at the Elks Lodge. They enjoyed spending time with all of their friends, but JB and Joyce and Lou and JE are the ones I knew best and love as family.

Momma enjoyed working in her flowers, movies, playing games, reading books, but the greatest two joys of her life were:

Trips to Hawaii (she was relentless in trying to get everyone to move there) we went with the Shriners, Nanny Pauline, Papa Chuck, and again with the Rainbo's, the Woods when Robert and Kendra were little and Mamaw Jean was her partner in crime.

Nanny Pauline, Jean and Momma learned two important things in Hawaii: You get a beautiful flower lei with hugs and kisses when you get off of the plane, and you can order a MaiTai or Margarita room service or at the pool and charge them to the room, making them free.

Her second greatest joy was watching or doing anything with Robert: whether he was laying in his crib, riding his tricycle, bike or skateboard, playing basketball in the driveway, first day of pre-school, drawing pictures, finding animals in the clouds from a blanket in the backyard (like with her momma), playing or watching basketball, football or golf, traveling around Oklahoma riding in a golf cart watching Robert play in tournaments, going to Monte Casino, Cascia and Notre Dame school functions and all of his graduations, holidays and opening presents AND most recently JUST HOLDING HANDS AND SMILING.

She was very proud of you Bubby. Nothing in life could light up her face like you. Your wedding to our lovely Amanda was her Cinderella Ball. She even made her lady friends jealous as she described dancing with the Cardinal, aka Father Bernie. She loved that you have found a beautiful and loving wife and looking forward to the birth of your child in January.

She was also looking forward to her next birthday when she would turn 85 and dance again. And, to the family reunion next August.

So to her loving friends and family: John and Terry Hendricks and family, Mark and Gay Miller and family, Mark and Kathy Baggett and Family, King and Kelly James and family, the family of Bill Hendricks, Bill Miller, JC King, Stan & MaryJane Sadovy and family, Johnny & Danielle Ludwig & family, Phil and Martha Schlecht and family, Carol Waugh and Family, David, James and Paul King and families, the Rainbolts, Martins, Brims and many others…

May we celebrate her life, think of her beautiful smile and twinkling eyes AND…

SING like no one is listening, LOVE like you have never been hurt, DANCE like no one is watching and LIVE like it is heaven on earth.

Memorial Service: 3:00 p.m. Thursday, September 1, 2016 at Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to American Cancer Society Tulsa, 4110 South 100th East Avenue, Suite 101, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146

Fitzgerald Southwood Colonial Chapel, 918-291-3500