Reta (Schlegel) Baechler
Reta (Schlegel) Baechler was born in 1921 on the Schlegel homestead in South Easthope Township, the daughter of Aaron and Barbara (Sommers) Schlegel. She had four brothers and one sister. Her family lived with her paternal grandmother, Barbara (Bender) Schlegel (1837–1927) who had a great impact on Reta’s life. Her first language was Deitsch. Reta attended Hartleib’s Public School and graduated from grade 8. In 1945 Reta married Floyd Baechler and they settled on a nearby farm. They were the parents of three daughters and one son. Reta was a homemaker and also worked in a nursing home. For many years she lived at Greenwood Court in Stratford and at the age of 99 was the oldest interviewee in the Wie Geht’s Tavistock project. Reta enjoyed good health and a remarkable memory until she died on Oct. 27, 2022, one month shy of her 101st birthday.