Mary J. Small

Mary J. Small, 89, Moffit, ND, passed away on April 12, 2025.

Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 16 at Pro-Cathedral of St. Mary, 825 E Broadway Ave, Bismarck, ND, with burial at St. Mary's Cemetery, Bismarck.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15, with a rosary/vigil service at 7 p.m. at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave, Bismarck.

Mary Jean was born at home on November 26, 1935 to Nick and Ann (Bullinger) Beckler. She was raised and educated in Mandan, graduating with the Class of 1953. She was a hard worker from the beginning. While in high school, she did lots of babysitting and worked at the Taylor Drug Store helping buy the Beckler family’s first vehicle with money she had saved up.

At Doc’s Drive-in on the strip in Mandan, Mary met the love of her life, Paul Small. They were married on November 29, 1955 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Mandan. In 1957, Paul and Mary lived in a one-bedroom farmhouse south of Bismarck where they raised their first three children: Kenny, Maureen, and Patty. In 1965, they had the opportunity given by Bus Leary and Roy Rockstad, to move to a farm near Moffit. Paul managed the ranch and soon after their youngest child Mike was born. The Ranch became their forever home.

Mary loved life on the farm and put her heart into fulfilling all the roles that being a ranch wife and mother called for. She planted a huge garden, sewed many of her kids' clothes, and cooked countless meals all to care for her family and others who came to help on the ranch, especially the boys in the Leary and Rockstad families. She also enjoyed the homemaker’s group and liked to be creative while making ceramics and crocheting blankets.

Mary will be remembered by many for her funny comments, blunt honesty, and outgoing personality. She had a persevering and strong spirit always pushing through to finish a task she started or life difficulty thrown her way. She was a faithful church goer which started young when she attended Saint Joseph’s Catholic School where she went to Daily Mass. She prayed for others and the Rosary often and had a special connection to Saint Faustina.

She greatly loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and was always there to support, listen, and make them laugh. She greatly missed her husband Paul of 50 years and voiced looking forward to being reunited in Heaven with him.

Throughout her whole life, Mary loved flowers. Planting a variety of them was her favorite pastime. Which continued in her later years along with: getting together with her friends and classmates, attending reunions, coloring, phone calls to loved ones, daily reading the newspaper, and enjoying the peacefulness of the farm while sitting in her gazebo.

Mary is survived by her son, Kenny; daughter, Maureen (Christ) Boehm, and their children, Joshua (Michelle), Nic, Jessica (Thomas), Katie (Brock), and Krista (Ryan); daughter, Patty (Dan) Gefroh, and their children, Brittany and Eric (Alyana); and son, Mike (Becky), and their children, Andrew, Anna, Bethany and William; great-grandchildren, Brayden and Chris, Kaylee and Sebastian, Xander and Fahlen, and Milo; sister, Nadine (Jacob) Sitter; and many extended family members from both sides of the family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul; her parents; sister, Alice Schoeder; brother, Richard Beckler; sister-in-law, Audrey Kimball; brothers-in-law, Arnie Arneson and Gary Small.