Lydia Hergenrider

Lydia (Ochs) Hergenrider, 99, passed away Saturday, December 3, 2011 at the Beartooth Billings Clinic, Red Lodge, Montana. Her Pastor and family members were at her bedside when she passed from her worldly journey. Lydia was born April 22, 1912 in Garden City, Kansas to Volga German Immigrants Jacob and Sophia (Litzenberger) Ochs. She was the fifth of eight children. Around the spring of 1915 the Ochs family moved to the Billings, Montana area where a farm was rented and worked for several years. Her two younger brothers, Henry and Herman were born there, before the family moved to another rented farm near Forsyth. Lydia started her school education at the Howard School. In late 1918 her mother passed away and three months later Edwin, the oldest brother also passed away. In March of 1924 the family moved to a farm one mile north of Belfry. Lydia and her siblings had been joined by a new step-mother, step-sister, and two step-brothers prior to the latest move. Lydia was confirmed into the Lutheran faith at Belfry when Lutheran Sunday services were still held in a different Volga German family's home each week. She was married to Johann David “Dave” Hergenrider, Jr. in the newly built St. John's Lutheran Church on January 27, 1929. This church was built by the many Volga German Immigrants menfolks living near Belfry. Lydia and Dave owned a farm four miles south of Belfry, along the Clarks Fork River, from 1946 until the mid 1960's when Dave's failing health required them to lease out the farm and move to Belfry. Lydia then started a 17 year career as a cook in the Belfry School system. Lydia had been a lifelong member of St. John's Lutheran Church since 1924; she was active in the ladies organization and activities through the years until the late 1990's. She was one of the founding members of the Belfry Senior Citizen Center, being active and participating with that organization until mid 2011. She was also a member of the American Legion Post 84 – Belfry Womens Auxiliary. Lydia was preceded in death by her parents; two step-mothers; her siblings; step-siblings and their spouses; her husband's parents, 3 of his brothers, 4 sisters and 6 of their spouses; her husband Dave Jr.; two sons Herman and Kenneth. She is survived by two sons, Harold (Ellen) and Donald (Sharon); five grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren; sister-in-law Maybelle Hergenrider and brother-in-law Rudy (Clara) Hergenrider. Cemetery: Interment will be in the Belfry Cemetery. Service: Funeral Services will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Bridger at 11:00 a.m. Friday, December 9, 2011.