Edith "Edie" Kauffman

Edith M. Edie (Hajek) KauffmanGREAT FALLS Edith M. Edie (Hajek) Kauffman, 93, of Great Falls, a retired personnel assistant at the former Montana Deaconess Medical Center, died of natural causes Tuesday, November 3, 2015 at a local assisted living facility.Visitation is 5 to 7 p.m. November 7, 2015 at Schnider Funeral Home. Private entombment will take place at Hillcrest Mausoleum at a later date.Edie was born to Joseph and Frances (Kopacek) Hajek on Sunday, Sept. 10, 1922, in Great Falls, where she attended local schools and graduated in 1940 from Great Falls High School.Upon graduation, she moved to Chicago, where she got a full-time job as a payroll clerk for a Chicago firm and worked there for 11 years until she decided it was time for a change. She was transferred to Tokyo, where she met her future husband, James Kauffman, a U.S. Army captain, when he borrowed a nickel from her to play the slot machines. It was an auspicious beginning.They were married June 25, 1955, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Shortly thereafter, he received orders to France. While they were there, their daughter Cathy and son Stephen were born.In 1960, they returned stateside. While her husband was serving in theKorean Conflict, she and their children lived for a while in Tacoma, Wash., with Edie's older sister Valeria and her family. In 1963, they came to Great Falls to spend Thanksgiving with her younger sister, and remained there for the rest of her life.In Great Falls, she worked at the former Deaconess Hospital (now Benefis) and was remembered by many job applicants as being very kind and genuinely hoping each applicant would be hired. She gave people attention and reassurance, qualities of hers that people genuinely responded to.In the little free time she had, Edie loved to read (Agatha Christie was a favorite), watch game shows on TV, and do crossword puzzles. By far, however, her favorite activity was spending time with her grandchildren and later great-grandsons.She treasured them and they treasured her. She was always fair and kind to them and often remarked that holding them in her arms made everything worthwhile.She is survived by her daughter, Cathy (Jim) Gretch of Great Falls; son Stephen Kauffman of Orlando; granddaughters Shannon (Denny) Rindal, currently stationed in Germany, and Megan Gretch of Helena; great-grandsons Dawson Rindal and Grayson Rindal of Germany; and several nephews and nieces.She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Kauffman, on June 12, 1992; her only grandson, Stephen Gretch, on Oct. 1, 1995; two sisters, a niece and a nephew.The family would like to thank the wonderful, caring staff at the Bee Hive Assisted Living Facility. We will never forget your kindness to Mom.Memorials are suggested to the Children's Receiving Home, PO Box 1061, Great Falls, MT 59403; the Ronald McDonald House, 850 2nd Ave SW, Rochester, MN 55902; or the ASPCA.Condolences for the family may be posted online atwww.SchniderFuneralHome.com.