Florence I. (Fast) Siebert, 92, of Reedley, Calif., died March 16, 2022. She was born Aug. 28, 1929, to Mary Ethel (Schindler) and Henry A. Fast in Newton, Kan.

She attended the Newton public schools and Bethel Academy for three years before graduating from Newton High School in 1947. She went on to attend Bethel College for two years. There she met Merle M. Siebert of Henderson, Neb. They were married on May 31, 1949.

In 1959, she and Merle moved to California, along with their first three children. Their fourth child was born the next year. They attended Reedley First Mennonite Church.

She was a longtime member of and skilled contributor to both the congregation’s choir and quilting circle. She also crocheted. She made a beautiful quilt for each of her children and grandchildren. The quilting circle yearly made a quilt to be auctioned at the West Coast Mennonite Central Committee Relief Sale.

For 17 years, she was the Great Western School secretary.

Throughout, side by side with Merle, she was devoted to her family. Family vacations ranged from high-country fishing trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains to cross-country road trips to the Midwest to visit relatives. These were spiced with excursions to such places as the Grand Canyon, the Great Salt Lake and Dinosaur National Monument.

She was a constant presence at her children’s and grandchildren’s concerts, musicals, ballets, games and swim meets. Many times, this involved traveling halfway or completely across the continent. Until a few weeks before her death, she regularly visited or called her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, keeping up with their lives.

Survivors include her husband of 72 years, Merle; four children, Joleen Siebert of Reedley, Ron (Kerry Noble) Siebert of Clovis, Bradley (Kay Preheim) Siebert of Topeka, Kan., and Bruce (Michael Di Bianco) Siebert of New York, N.Y.; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Elinor and Marjorie; and her brother, Richard.