Centenarian

Mary Bichler

Sammamish, Wash.

Mary Bichler recently celebrated her 100th birthday. She was born June 21, 1906, in Strasburg, N.D., and had been a resident of Spokane for 58 years before moving to Sammamish about three years ago.

She met Ray Bichler in Strasburg and they were married in 1929. He died in 1987.

Bichler was a homemaker and says raising five children and being married to her husband were her most rewarding life achievements. She also loves to garden and says that people passing by would stop to comment on her yard.

Bichler attributes a long and healthy life to a loving husband, wonderful family, good friends, her love of gardening and baking, and her strong faith.

When asked what the most memorable moment in history was for her in the past 100 years, she recalled the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963.

Bichler has three daughters, Annabelle Davis, Spokane, Sister Tharsilla Bichler, FSE, Pocatello, Idaho, and Venita Fischer, Sammamish; two sons, Jerry Bichler, Spokane Valley, and the late Herman Bichler; 20 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren.