Maria Eicher from Wetting shared happiness and joy with her loved ones, but also dark hours.
She has now passed away at the age of 93.
Wetting
– Maria Eicher was the center of her extended family.
She shared happiness and joy, but also dark hours, with her husband, Forstern's former mayor Josef Eicher, with their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Now the Wettingerin died suddenly at the age of 93 after a medical emergency.
Maria Eicher was born on September 1, 1928 in Harthofen in the municipality of Pastetten, where she grew up with four siblings on her parents' farm.
Her mother died when she was still a child, but she developed a very good relationship with her father's second wife.
Maria Eicher: Outstanding housekeeper, cook and farmer
Maria Eicher worked on the farm in Harthofen from an early age and at the same time attended the home economics school in Heilig Blut, where she acquired sound knowledge.
"Mother was an excellent housekeeper, cook and farmer's wife, who learned to work efficiently and purposefully on her parents' farm," says daughter Maria Els, wife of former mayor Georg Els. Because her father had been wounded in the First World War, the young woman had to lend a hand.
The extended family was able to enjoy their fine cooking and baking skills to the last.
In 1955, Maria married into Fritz Eicher's court in Wetting.
Daughter Maria was born in March 1956, followed a year later by her sister Friederike.
Father Fritz was already seriously ill at the time, which is why his nephew Josef Eicher helped out on his uncle's farm, who died only a few months later.
This fate brought Maria and Josef together – on December 23, 1958, one day before Christmas Eve, they got married in the St. Anna Basilica in Altötting.
Very small, only with groomsmen.
The couple had three children together, Resi, Sepp, who today runs the Wettinger Eicher-Hof, and Thomas.
For the extended family, Maria Eicher was always the center of attention
"The parents made an awful lot out of the farm together, mum always supported father, that went well beyond the household chores," says Maria Els. When Josef Eicher was elected mayor of Forstern in 1976 and held this office for 20 years , he could always rely on his wife - at work in the house, in the stable, on the field.
"She managed the farm with great efficiency, with knowledge, ability and expertise," says her daughter, mostly supported by an apprentice, until Josef Eicher returned from the town hall in the afternoon and was able to help.
For the extended family, Maria Eicher was always the focus - for the five children with spouses, but also for the nine grandchildren Kathrin, Sabine, Michael, Schorsch, Seppi, Maxi, Lisa, Stefan and Dani and the five great-grandchildren Lena, Theresa, Sophia, Mia and Lara.
"If someone had passed an exam or there were simply reports at school, everyone went straight to grandma and grandpa in Wetting," says Maria Els.
But even if a family member had to experience dark hours, grandma was always there.
"She shared happiness, joy and difficult times with us and accompanied us," says her daughter.
"She ensured a very close bond in the family and also made sure that we siblings and the children-in-law got along so well with each other."
Even when she was older, Maria Eicher baked her own cakes for Sundays with the family.
The day before she died, she was picking currants in the garden and making jam.
Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, she died late Thursday evening after a medical emergency in the Ebersberg hospital.
The family said goodbye to their beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandma and great-grandmother on their deathbed - everyone is incredibly grateful that this was made possible.
Even days after the death, it is still incomprehensible for the relatives that Maria Eicher is suddenly no longer there.
Because even if it was a perfect and fulfilled life at the age of 93, in good health and mentally fresh: "At that moment, saying goodbye is so difficult," says daughter Maria Els on behalf of the whole family.
The Requiem for Maria Eicher will take place on Tuesday, July 5, at 10 a.m. in the Tading Parish Church.
The funeral follows.