Angela M. O'Keefe

Angela O'Keefe, 84, Bismarck, ND, died peacefully and unexpectedly in her home on September 1, 2015. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 8, at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, 519 Raymond St, Bismarck, with Fr. Jared Johnson officiating. Burial will be held at 1:00 PM at the ND Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday from 4:00 – 9:00 PM at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a vigil service will begin at 7:00 PM. Visitation will continue on Tuesday one hour prior to the service at the church. Angela was born on March 13, 1931, in Williston, ND, the daughter of Matthew and Agnes (Bronder) O'Neill. She was raised and educated in Williston where she graduated in 1948. She was active in many school activities including choir, pep club and writing for the school paper. Angela went to The College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, MN, from 1948 until 1951 and graduated with a degree in nursing. She trained and then worked at St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis from 1951 to 1953. Angela married Norbert O'Keefe on August 1, 1953, in Williston. She had eight children and dedicated her life to raising her family. When all the kids had grown and moved away she went back to nursing and worked at Heartview Foundation for eleven years and found great joy in her work helping those struggling with addictions. Angela's passions were her Catholic faith, children and family, volunteering, gardening and music. She took her profession as a Third Order Lay Carmelite in 2000, joining a community who, in response to a call from God, promise to live the Gospel in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its guidance. Carmelites must be active in their community, pray the liturgy of the hours in the morning and evening, and attend Mass and pray the rosary every day. Angela taught and assisted new Carmelites in their formation process. She was generous with her time in supporting the Catholic Indian Mission in Ft. Yates, a Carmelite ministry. Angela gave her life to serving others, working with groups including Serra International (supporting priestly vocations), the Food Pantry, various church programs and the St. Vincent DePaul Society. She was a gifted musician with a beautiful alto voice that brought love and light to the world. Her commitment and loyalty to her faith and the church was unbounded. She served as a Eucharistic minister, participated weekly in Eucharistic adoration, helped clean the church and assisted at church functions regularly, and performed many other acts of service. Her family was blessed to have had such a compassionate, kind and loving mother and dedicated wife who shared with them the gift of laughter and unconditional love. She was a dedicated wife of sixty years who took care of her husband, Norbert, lovingly until his last breath. She is survived by her sons, John (Darla), Timothy, Michael, Matthew and Daniel (Asako); her daughters, Mary Ellen (Jim), Peggy (Evan) and Bridget (Chris); her grandchildren, Shane, Jackson and Jacy O'Keefe; Sarah and Samantha Price and Melissa Strand (Neal); Jessica Cox and Andrea Ramirez; Casey, Sam, and Jack Hardmeyer; Andrew and Allison O'Keefe, Billy, Ben, and Samantha Mennell; Marie, Sean and Sasha O'Keefe; George, Finn and John Dunn; her great-grandchildren, Daniel Soucek, Penelope and Amelia Strand; her brother, Larry O'Neill; and her sister, Pat Gordon. Angela was preceded in death by her father Matthew and mother Agnes. Memorials are preferred to The God's Child Project or Bismarck Emergency Food Pantry.