Matilda Marie Reisbeck Deering

MATILDA MARIE REISBECK DEERING Funeral services for longtime Cortez resident Matilda Marie Reisbeck Deering will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 22 at Ertel Memorial Chapel. Interment will follow at Cortez Cemetery. Visitation has been scheduled for Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. at Ertel Chapel. Longtime resident Matilda Marie Reisbeck deering passed away Sunday, March 17, at Vista Mesa Assisted Living. Matilda was 91. Matilda was born on March 4, 1922, in the German community of Globeville, Colo., the daughter of John H. and Anna Marie Stroh Reisbeck. She attended Horace Mann Junior High and North High School in Denver, later attending the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. In the 1940s, Matilda worked for the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Chemical Warfare Service and Bureau of Reclamation. In 1942, Matilda and Bill met at a Job's Daughters dance given at Lowry Air Force Base. On Nov. 14, 1943, they were married, and were blessed with their only child, Cynthia Ann Deering, on Oct. 10, 1945. In 1955, Bill and Matilda moved to Cortez, where Bill opened Basin Heating and Sheet Metal and Matilda was employed by the Montezuma Cortez School District, Ute Mountain Tribal Office, National Indian Court Judges Association and Southwest Memorial Hospital. In 1981, she opened her own secretarial service. Loving music so much and singing since she was 5 years old, she filled her home with music. She played the piano and organ. She was accepted to sing with the Cortez Choraliers and loved every minute of it, as well as telling funny stories about their travels and performances for 32 years. Being a Job's Daughter enabled her to travel the United States with the Job's Daughters drill team. In 1972, she was the Worthy Matron of the Order of Eastern Star, Cortez Chapter #87, having great fun planning events and preparing for meetings. She also was a member of the Daughters of the Nile. Being in Beta Sigma Phi International for more than 50 years, she loved to have meetings at her house and bring out her special things to entertain with, as these ladies were lifetime friends. When the Anasazi Heritage Center opened, she volunteered right away and loved her time there, calling her daughter with all kinds of information about all she was learning and what events were planned. Matilda loved Christmas. This was her favorite time of year with baking, decorating, singing, wonderful centerpieces - even the bathrooms had a touch of Christmas, making it such a delight to be home. She loved to do arts and crafts and there was always a project in progress. She took delight in her home, gardening, trying every new recipe on her husband, and loving her cats and dogs. Matilda was preceded in death by her mother and father, and by her husband, William N. Deering. She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Ann Deering. Her favorite most-used quote was, "May the Lord watch over thee and me while we are absent one from another." She will be missed.