Henrietta T. Saalfeld

Henrietta T. Saalfeld November 12, 1917 - July 30, 2010 MOUNT ANGEL - Henrietta "Hank at the Bank" Saalfeld passed away peacefully on July 30th, 2010, at the Health Center of Mt. Angel Towers. Henrietta moved to the Towers in 2007, after living in the family home on the corner of College & Garfield since 1922. During the years since leaving her beloved residence, she worked to complete a contribution of the family home and beautifully landscaped yard to the City of Mt. Angel - with that donation completed on March 1st, 2010 when the Mt. Angel City Council unanimously voted to accept the generous gift as a community park dedicated to "The Saalfeld Family Park". Henrietta was a lifelong resident of Mt. Angel having attended Mt. Angel Grade School with a perfect attendance record, graduated from Mt. Angel Academy and attended one year of college at Mt. Angel College until needing to drop out to help the family put food on the table during the depression years. She began work at the Mt. Angel Flax Plant in 1936 and worked there for 13 years until the plant closed in 1949 - but continued to work part time evenings until 1953 in dissolving the Co-op. She was fortunate to begin work at the Mt. Angel Branch of United States National Bank as bookkeeper in 1949, where she spent the next 32 years. She dedicated her early banking years to increasing her educational background with countless American Institute of Banking (AIB) courses and in 1970-71 was the President of the Marion County Chapter of AIB and Secretary of the National Association of Bank Women. Her sharp wit and ready smile, coupled with her commitment to honesty, helped her advance in responsibilities at the bank, being named one of the first, if not the first, women branch managers of US Bank in the State in 1974, and continued as Branch Manager until her retirement in 1980. Henrietta loved Mt. Angel and devoted much of her time to volunteer work and service to many organizations and causes. She was secretary of the Mt. Angel Chamber for 15 years and served as Chamber President in 1975; a director of the Abbey Bach Festival; past board member of the Benedictine Sisters Foundation, Silverton Hospital Foundation, Mt. Angel Rural Fire District, Mt. Angel Development Board, and St. Mary's Parish Council. In 1969 she was elected to the board of the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest as secretary and served in that roll until 1983. For over 25 years she was a board member of the Mt. Angel Telephone Company. In January of 1990 she was named First Citizen of Mt. Angel and in May of 1997 the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon bestowed the Benemerenti Medal which was awarded to her by Pope John Paul II for service to the church and as a member of the Archdiocese Finance Committee for 10 years. Henrietta often commented on how excited and fortunate she was to have a job that put her in contact with so many interesting people and the opportunity to volunteer in the community with people she enjoyed and made lasting friendships with so many! In addition to her work and volunteer efforts, Henrietta loved to garden, especially tending to the Rose Garden, continuing the work her mother had started on the property. Her height and talent made her an outstanding softball first baseman and her 1952 squad qualified for the National Championships. However, her real love in sports turned out to be golf and she was a multi year winner of the Mt. Angel Evergreen Women's Championship - on October 8th, 1986 she had a hole-in-one at Black Butte - and in September 1991 she had her ultimate golf dream come true when she played the Safeway Pro-Am with Hall of Famer JoAnne Carner! Henrietta was the last of 11 children to survive and was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Elizabeth; sisters, Margaret Saalfeld Annen, Marie Saalfeld Newman, Rose Saalfeld Gray, Pauline Saalfeld, Helen Saalfeld Berchtold; and brothers, Hubert 'Hub' Saalfeld, Alvin 'Al' Saalfeld, Father Lawrence Saalfeld and two infants at birth. Henrietta is survived by 9 nieces and nephews, Elaine Annen (Special thanks to Elaine for providing an amazing amount of help and support to Hank in her declining years), Thomas Annen, Patricia Annen, Kenneth Berchtold, James Berchtold, Donald Berchtold, Elizabeth Saalfeld Otter, Richard Saalfeld and Robert Saalfeld and their extended families - a phenomenal tribute to Henrietta's warm and kind personality was the fact that each and every one of the nieces and nephews felt that they were "Henrietta's Favorite"! The Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 4th, 2010 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Mt. Angel, Oregon. Funeral Vigil and Rosary will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 at St. Mary's as well. Unger Funeral Chapel of Silverton/Mt. Angel is handling arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a contribution to the Henrietta T. Saalfeld Scholarship Fund at the Mt. Angel Community Foundation, P.O. Box, Mt. Angel, Oregon 97362.