Althea Kessel

Althea Tausend Kessel, 98, Mandan, died September 7, 2019 at Miller Pointe-a Prospera Community in Mandan.

A funeral service will be held at 1 PM on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at Mandan United Methodist Church.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at Buehler-Larson Funeral Home, Mandan and the family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

Althea Delight (Suchy) Tausend Kessel’s birth was April 29th, 1921 in Fargo, ND.  She was pleased to meet her Lord on September 7th, 2019 in Mandan, ND, having smiled most of the way to the age of 98.

Althea was born to Joseph J. and Nettie (Kinney) Suchy.  She attended Little Heart grade school in Morton County and graduated from Mandan High School in 1940.  On August 10th of 1943, Althea married Wilmont (Will) Tausend from Judson, ND.  They had 44 years together and raised four children.  Following Will’s death, Althea married Richard J. Kessel of Belfield, ND in 1989 and they enjoyed mutual company for eight years until his death in 1997.

Althea loved people and life.  Her greatest interests were family, homemaking, church, gardening, politics, and science.  She enjoyed meeting new people while working at the ND Motor License Dept., the Southern Pacific RR in San Francisco, Ben Franklin in Mandan, Farmers Union accounting in Mandan, Elgin and Carson, ND, then Heartview Treatment Center, and next, the desk at Lewis & Clark Hotel, both in Mandan.  After retirement, Althea very much enjoyed working part time for Morton County Social Services.

Althea is survived by one sister-in-law, Fern Engesser of Rapid City, SD; one brother, Fred Elliot; two sons, Wes (Linda) Tausend of Bismarck and Monte (Linnie) Tausend of Lincoln; her daughter-in-law, Connie Tausend, Mandan; 7 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren; and six step-daughters from her second husband, Richard.

Althea was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Donald Suchy, Dale Suchy, and Joe Elliot; her first husband, Wilmont; her second husband, Richard; her daughter and son-in-law, Laureen and Robert Morrissey; and her youngest son, Terrel Tausend.