Lydia Reich 97, Harvey formerly of Burt, ND died Wednesday May 4, at the Harvey hospital.

Funeral services will be Sunday May 8 at 6:00 p.m. at New Leipzig Baptist Church, New Leipzig. Visitation will be held at the church Sunday from 4:30 p.m. until service time.

There will also be a Friends of Lydia Prayer Service at Hertz Funeral Home, Harvey on Friday May 6 at 5:30 p.m. Visitation will be held at the funeral home in Harvey from 4:00 p.m. until service time on Friday.

Burial will be in the New Leipzig Baptist Church cemetery.

Lydia Reich was born to Jacob and Christiana Imhoff on May 11, 1913. On August 1, 1934, she was joined in marriage to Herbert Reich. This union was blessed with three daughters. At the age of 21, she accepted Jesus as her Savior, along with her husband, at a revival meeting. They were baptized on July 14, 1940, by Rev. J.J. Renz and became members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church. In January of 1953, she joined the Mott Baptist Church where she served as a children's Sunday school teacher until the church closed. The family joined the New Leipzig Baptist Church in April, 1970, where she was a member until her death. She was mobile and in good health until 2008. In 2009, she fell and broke her femur bone near the hip, which severely decreased her mobility. During the last few weeks of her life she spent most of her time sleeping. On Sunday, May 1st, she was diagnosed with aspirated pneumonia and congestive heart failure with a high fever. She died in St. Aloisius Medical Center on Wednesday, May 4th, one week before her 98th birthday, with two of her daughters at her side. Lydia was feisty and humorous to the end. She was never without a hat! She had many hats of different colors and styles and it had to be just right. She enjoyed gardening, baking, playing bingo, ice cream, good chocolate, going out for coffee and a donut, shopping, watching the squirrels and birds, watching basketball games, and children, especially babies, as well as being read to. She was adventurous and spent 9 months in Cameroon, W. Africa where a baby girl was named Lydia after her. She learned to shop in the local market (for meat especially), and she taught African ladies how to make quilts with scraps of cloth, and how to raise chickens. She traveled to Brazil for a 3 week trip and also traveled to Hawaii with family and friends. She was a nanny in Livingston, MT, for 7 years for Kitty and Dennis Springer who were like a second family to her. She always made knifla (knephla) on Christmas Eve for them. Their youngest son was her god-child. She also cared for other children of teaching moms. Having lived in Livingston, MT for thirty years prior to coming to Harvey, she left a legacy that will be hard to fill. Neighbors and friends will cherish her love and kindness which she expressed at all times. She leaves to mourn her 3 daughters: Donniella Delores Auch of Gresham, OR., Dorothy (David) Lake of Harvey, ND, and Doreen Reich of Livingston, MT; 5 grandchildren: Michelle (Dean) Thorn, David (Marilyn) Auch, Jason (Kendra) Lake, Gwynne (Dean) Moore and Chad (Nicole-fiance) Christiansen; 11 great grand children: Nathanial, Chandler & Michaela Thorn, Spencer & Sarah Auch, Jayden, Julia Lydia & Jackson Lake, and Kayce, Arden & Lyndsay Moore; 3 sisters: Elsie(Art) Ganthner of Mesa, AZ, Esther Haase of New Leipzig, ND, and Lorine (Don) Okken of New Leipzig, ND; 1 brother, Albert (Adeline) Imhoff of Bismarck, ND; and many nieces and nephews, plus a host of friends. Lydia was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, 6 brothers: Emil, the twins – Johnny and Albert, Otto, Johnny, and Christian, 1 sister, Emma Lillethun, and 1 granddaughter, Felicia Auch. She will be greatly missed by family and friends.