Thelma Casey

Thelma Rose Casey, 92, of Great Falls, a retired registered nurse, died of natural causes on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at the Beehive Nursing Home.A viewing will be held at 10:00 a.m. one hour prior to the funeral liturgy which will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Holy Cross Cemetery in Butte, MT.Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.Thelma Rose was born on October 23, 1920 in Butte, Montana to Louie and Katherine Bartoletti.See attended Butte High School and graduated from Sacred Heart Nursing School in Spokane, Washington.She became Friendly acquainted in high school with her future husband, Bob Casey, during Latin and Spanish classes; they reacquainted when Bob got out of the Army in 1948.One day, he gave her a ride home from work as she waited for the bus in front of the Rialto Theatre in Butte.They were married in Butte in 1950 and moved to Conrad, Montana where Dr. Casey opened his medical practice.Thelma and Bob later moved to Washington, DC where Bob pursued a specialty in obstetrics.They returned to Montana and moved to Great Falls in 1955, where Bob had a successful ob/gyn practice and where they raised their two children.Thelma was active in the Catholic Church where she was a member of St. Anns Parish in Great Falls, and also a Dame of Knights of Malta organization.She was also very involved in various civic activities in her adopted home city including the Great Falls Figure Skating Club, Great Falls Central High School and the Columbus Hospital, where she served on the Board of Directors.Thelma was born of Italian immigrant parents and cherished her Italian heritage all her life.She and Bob traveled extensively around the world and few places held the charm for Thelma that Italy did.She and Bob took three months of their life and worked for CARE-MEDICO in Afghanistan in 1972, which both believe was a life changing experience for them.Thelma is survived by her loving husband, Dr. Robert Casey of Great Falls; two children, Mary Theresa Casey of Salta, Argentina and Robert Casey Jr. of San Diego, CA.She was preceded in death by her brother, Dr. Edward Bartoletti.Memorials are suggested to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church and School, 409 13th Str. So., Great Falls, MT 59405 or to a charity of the donors choice.Condolences for the family may be posted online at www.schniderfuneralhome.com.