Mrs. Mary Christina Rachal

The life of Mary Christina Monteilh Rachal will be celebrated on June 23, 2018 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lebeau, Louisiana. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A. M. with interment to follow in the church cemetery. Christina was born in Lebeau, Louisiana on Christmas Eve, 1933 to Yeola (Reynaud) Monteilh and Moses Monteilh. She graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1952, then attended Xavier University in New Orleans. She returned to Lebeau and taught grade school at her alma mater, Immaculate Conception, for several years. In pursuit of opportunities not available to her in Louisiana, Christina moved to Los Angeles in 1955, where she landed a job with Bell Telephone Company. She was later joined by her sister Agnes (Patsy) and brother Norris (Nie). Christina loved her life in California and enjoyed being a “career girl”. In 1960, she married her childhood sweetheart, Francis (Frank) Rachal and relocated to Baltimore, Maryland. It was important for her to be at home with her young children, Pam, Lavinia (Vennie) and Francis. After all of her children were enrolled in school, Christina returned to college, earning her Associate of Science degree. She worked as a medical records coder for more than twenty years at University Hospital and St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, and then several other hospitals in the Baltimore/Washington area. In Baltimore, the family were members of All Saints Roman Catholic Church. They eventually moved to Columbia, Maryland, where the family were members of St. John's Catholic Church for 40 years. Christina fervently believed in contributing to the community. She served as a Eucharistic Minister for All Saints Church in Baltimore, bringing the Host to seniors in nursing homes. Every year she sewed blankets for child patients at the local hospital and served as a reading tutor for elementary school kids who were struggling. Christina was devoted to her hometown of Lebeau and was instrumental in the fundraising for and planning of the Immaculate Conception Centennial celebration. This was a five-year labor of love; Christina sent annual appeal letters to people across the country whose lives were impacted by the church. Later, she worked to establish a “lending library” at Immaculate Conception Church and donated hundreds of books. Christina enjoyed many hobbies including sewing, quilting, gardening, crafts, power walking, reading and taking exercise classes at the local senior center. She and Frank returned to Lebeau every year, staying in her childhood home, visiting friends and family, and reconnecting with the country life with which she grew up. Christina found joy in the simple things of life: the beauty of wildflowers, keeping in touch with her family and friends with phone calls and correspondence, cooking the perfect gumbo, and the smiles of children. The lessons she learned from the teachings of Christ, as well as her beloved Lebeau--the importance of kindness and generosity towards one's neighbors--guided her throughout her life. She loved nothing more than her family and was happiest when spending time with them. Her granddaughter, Julia, brought her immense joy and a constant smile to her face. Christina is survived by her children Pamela Marie Rachal, Lavinia Marie Rachal, and Francis Joseph Rachal; daughter-in-law Dawn Ursula Rachal; grand-daughter Julia Jackson Monteilh Rachal; sisters Agnes Monteilh Riley (Patsy), Sonja Monteilh Hunt, and Dianne Monteilh Long; and many beloved nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband Francis Rachal (Frank), her mother Yeola Reynaud Monteilh, her father Moses Monteilh, her step-mother Hilda Monteilh, her sister Mildred Monteilh (Millie), and brothers Joseph Monteilh, Norris Monteilh and Moses Monteilh, Jr. (Bobby). The family request visiting hours be observed from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Saturday, June 23, 2018 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Tributes

Mrs. Mary Christina Rachal

December 24, 1933 - June 11, 2018