Celeste O. Fritsch
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Celeste Opal Fritsch (Pourier) passed away peacefully on November 27, 2019, at the age of 86.
Celeste was born to Levi and Agatha (Shangreaux) Pourier on April 9, 1933 on the Pine Ridge, South Dakota Indian Reservation. Agatha passed away when Celeste was one year old. Levi remarried Emma Mills and together they raised Celeste. She was the middle child to two sisters, Marlene Denges and LuJuan Dozier.
After attending Holy Rosary Mission School, she met and married Roscoe Lawrence Fritsch on August 19, 1951. He was in the Air Force and they were stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. During his military career they made their homes in Anchorage, Alaska, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Beale, California, back to Ellsworth, South Dakota and finally Minot, North Dakota where he retired from the military and made a final move to Mantorville, Minnesota in 1974 where they made their lifetime home. They later divorced in 1986 after 35 years of marriage.
After her divorce, Celeste started working at the school as a lunch lady, then Daniels Restaurant and part-time at the Mantorville Saloon where she worked until she retired. Celeste enjoyed talking with the public and loved chatting with all of the patrons. Celeste was an avid bowler in her time and had numerous trophies to prove it. She also enjoyed sewing, baking, and trips to the casino. She was a warm and caring person and loved everyone. She could joke around with the best of them but she also wasn't afraid to state her mind.
Celeste had 6 children, Maretta (Michael) Flumm of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, William (Annetta) Fritsch of Stanton, North Dakota, Malinda (Brian) Kadrmas of Spokane, Washington, Loretta Keinholz of Mantorville, MN, John (Shannon) Fritsch of Oronoco, MN and Emma Renee (Shane) Ranvek of Mantorville, MN; 23 grandkids, 35 great-grandkids and 2 great-great grandkids as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She held a special place in her heart for all of them.
She was preceded in death by her parents, both sisters, and one son William.
Funeral services will be held on at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, December 4 at the First Congregational Church, 515 Walnut Street, Mantorville. Visitation will be at the church from 4:00-7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 3 and one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery at a later date. A celebration of life will be held at the Mantorville Saloon following the funeral on Wednesday.
Special thanks to Kasson Mayo and her wonderful team of doctors, the staff at DaVita, and Kris her respiratory therapist.
Dibble Funeral Home & Cremation Services - Kasson is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.dibblefuneralhome.com.