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Rochelle Ann Mather
HOXIE, Kan. -- Rochelle Ann Mather was born April 3, 1957, in Oberlin, Kansas, the daughter of Paul and Mary (Yeager) Carman. She passed away Saturday (July 16, 2016) near Hoxie, Kansas, at the age of 59.
Rochelle grew up five miles north of Selden, attending school there until 1969. She then went to Oberlin Elementary School and Junior High School until 1972. When her family moved to Colby, Rochelle attended Colby High School but quit when she was 16 years old to work at the Chief Restaurant as a dishwasher and later as a breakfast cook. She also worked at the Deep Rock Cafe and Murphy Cafe as a cook. Rochelle enjoyed cooking for her family, friends and customers, after she finally caught on to it.
In 1982, she married Michael Heinrich and to this union two children were born. They later divorced in 1985.
Rochelle earned her G.E.D. and later attended Colby Community College, receiving Associate of Arts degrees in General Studies and Journalism. She loved to write about her grandmother, when she stayed with her during the summers and weekends. Rochelle started a rough draft for a book called "Fond Memories of My Grandmother" but never got to finish it.
Rochelle married Richard "Doc" Mather on March 30, 1991, at the Colby United Methodist Church. They moved their family to a ranch 15 miles southeast of Goodland, where Doc worked on the T-Bar Ranch and Rochelle helped him salt and mineral the cattle and check on them at night during calving season, which she really enjoyed. When Doc got hurt, they moved to a house they bought in Clayton. She was Water Commissioner for the City of Clayton for many years. She also worked at the Frontier Restaurant in Oberlin as a cook, which she had to give up when she hurt her back.
Rochelle was a very loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She enjoyed going to her children's games, plays and concerts and later on to her grandchildren's activities. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Colby and Clayton, Clayton United Methodist Women, and Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, for the last 27 years.
Survivors include her husband, Doc; children, Traci Wheeler and husband Matt of Dayton, Ohio, and Matthew Heinrich and fiancée Tiffanie Fulton of Oakley; two brothers, Darrell Carman of Oakley and Marty Carman and wife Wilma of Colby; grandchildren, Emilee, Hunter, Cameron, Mackenzie and Haley; nephews and nieces, other family members and a host of friends.
In addition to her parents, Rochelle was preceded in death by her sister, Carolyn Kay Carman; and grandparents, Archie and Pearl Carman and Carlton Jay and Viola Yeager.
Funeral services will be Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 10:30 a.m. at the Colby United Methodist Church in Colby, Kansas, with Rev. Ed Woods officiating. Burial will be in the Selden Cemetery in Selden, Kansas. Visitation will be on Wednesday, July 27, from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. at Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin and on Thursday after 8 a.m. at the church in Colby.
Memorial contributions may be addressed in Rochelle's name and sent in care of Pauls Funeral Home, 121 N. Penn, Oberlin, KS 67749 (www.paulsfh.com).