Chiyoko "Annie" Mcatee

Remembering Annie (Chiyoko) Chiku McAtee

Annie entered into life on September 16th 1934 in Maebashi (Guma Prefecture) Japan, growing up during all of the Second WW, living through B-29 bombings and several near misses. After the end of the war and graduating from school, she became a Nanny in the north of Tokyo, working for an American military family at Yakota AFB.

There, she met her husband to be on a fateful Sunday morning. It was a long short story that she loved to tell. They were married November 17th 1959 in a little Catholic missionary parish church in Kisarazu City, south of Tokyo. A year later on October 24th, their Daughter, Mary Lynn made her appearance into life.

When the Kisarazu AB closed in late 1960, the little family remained in the area as caretakers of the base until the US Navy took over the base in 1961. Arriving in the USA on June 12th, 1961, her husband Lynn was reassigned to Kingsley Field Air Base near Klamath Falls Oregon, where he worked as an aircraft mechanic/crew chief.

Immediately upon arrival and getting moved in, Lynn was sent on a 2 month temporary duty assignment to McCord AFB Washington, where all of the assigned aircraft from Kingsley had been sent while the parking area and taxi ways were being resurfaced. Annie, became the usual Military Wife, (left at home in a new country with an infant child, having to cope alone.)

They remained there until late 1964, at which time, Lynn was reassigned to Paine Field AB near Everett Washington, north of Seattle, working for a few months, then received orders to report to Flight Engineer School, (another 3 months), and on graduation, was reassigned (April 1966) to Travis AFB Ca, where he was assigned to fly on the C-141 transport.

In 1969, another reassignment came along, this one to Viet Nam and so Annie once again was left alone for a year to keep the home fires burning.

At the end of the Nam tour, reassignment came to McClellan AFB in Sacramento Ca, which was about fifty miles east of home in Fairfield Ca. At McClellan, Lynn was to fly on Airborn Early warning EC-121 aircraft and again was to go world-wide on temporary duty cycles of about 2 months. During the time at McClellan, they didnt move from home in Fairfield Ca and remained there until 1974 when the assigned outfit was phased out of service and another reassignment came, back to Travis AFB and service on the C-5 Jumbo Jet.

After more schooling and travel, things were pretty normal for a military family until April the 4th 1975, when the aircraft that Sgt McAtee was a crew member, experienced fatal mechanical failure and crashed near Tan Son Nhut Airport at Siagon VN. After the accident, things pretty much returned to normal and remained so until mid-1976 at which time it was decided that it was time to end the military career and return to civilian life.

Continuing to live in Fairfield, Annie was much relieved that life would be much more simple, but with a headstrong teenager still at home, life could be complicated and often was. And on her eighteenth birthday, the little bird flew the coup, no longer content to "put up with mom and dad".

In early 1979, a family need was discovered from Lynns mom and dad in Plains Mt, and so the McAtee family was once again on the move, for the last time, moving to Plains and co-assuming the responsibility, along with sister, Mary Lappe, for the senior McAtees welfare.

After moving to Plains, Annie and Lynn became members of St James Catholic Parish, for which both have done their best to help improve parish life. In the late 1980s, Lynn attended Pastoral Ministry class in Helena, at Carrol Collage and both Lynn and Annie met and made many fast friends, which lasted and flourished to this day. In 1988, Lynn began attending Deacon training classes, again at Carrol Collage and continued to graduation and Ordination as Permanent Deacon in August of 1992 and has continue to serve at St James Parish to this day. For some 13 years, Annie worked at the Champion Timberland tree nursery and then after Champion closed the facility, went to work for Bob Heckmans private nursery, finally retiring for good when she reached her sixty second birthday.

The last few years have been good for Annie, with many fast friends and much to do, but with advancing years, came health problems. This past June, the family was able to take an extended vacation, driving through most of the northwestern states, to California and on through all of the far southern states to Florida and Georgia to visit family and friends. Then, returning to Montana, went back to life as usual, pretty much exhausted from driving over seven thousand miles.

Life as usual for Annie came to an end on November ninth, when the Lord called her home. We had a good and long marriage, only eight days short of fifty eight years. She will be greatly missed by many friends and family and I know that her loving care for all she met has touched many that we dont know. To Annie, there never was a stranger, but only a friend she had not yet met. Our Little Angel has gone Home.

Service Information Visitation Monday November 14, 2016 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM St. James Catholic Church Recitation of the Rosary Monday November 14, 2016 7:00 PM St. James Catholic Church Mass of Christian Burial Tuesday November 15, 2016 11:00 AM St. James Catholic Church