Mary Elizabeth Mai

Mary Mai of Remsen, Iowa died suddenly on Thursday, October 19, 2017 at the Orange City Area Health Hospital shortly after her 91st birthday.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Remsen with Rev. William McCarthy officiating.  Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Remsen, IA. Visitation with family present will be 4-7 p.m. Tuesday.  There will be a parish rosary and vigil prayer service at 5 p.m. all at Fisch Funeral Home & Monument in Remsen. Services have been entrusted to the Fisch Funeral Home & Monument of Remsen.

Mary was born on September 23, 1926 to James and Vincentia (Collins) Cronin on a farm near Struble, Iowa. Mary graduated from Holy Name Catholic School in Marcus, Iowa in 1943. She then went to Westmar College and received her teaching certificate. She taught in a one-room school house 8 miles north of Remsen until her marriage. She met Robert Mai at a dance at the Avalon Ballroom in Remsen. They were married at the Holy Name Catholic Church on June 19, 1946. She did occasional substitute teaching until they had three children. They lived and farmed north of Remsen from 1948 to 1980, then moving into Remsen. She was a nurse’s aide at the Orange City Municipal Hospital, as well as an aide at the Happy Siesta Nursing Home. In 1982, she started working at the Fashionette in LeMars, Iowa. She loved clothing design and helping people find clothes. She received Employee of the Month from the LeMars Chamber of Commerce in 1994 and felt so honored.

She was a proud Irish who enjoyed family visiting, gardening, playing cards, walking, knitting, crocheting, BINGO, reading, going for drives and finding the beauty in God’s creations. She had a deep Christian faith with belief of spiritual living.

Mary was a longtime member of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Catholic Daughters and Christian Mothers.

Grateful for having shared her life are her children, James (Donna) Mai of LeMars, Iowa; daughter in law, Kathy Mai of Aberdeen, South Dakota; Carol (Robert) Hardy of Harrisburg, South Dakota; Paul (Patricia) Mai of Alton, Iowa; John (Sherrie) Mai of LeMars, Iowa, Mary (Monte) Konopasek of Remsen, Iowa; Judy (Randy) Aldrich of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; 21 grandchildren; 42 great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild, her sisters-in law; Paula Cronin of Marcus; Norma Cronin of Holstein; Joan Cronin of Marcus; Marlene (Arens) Wilmes of Mankato, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by: her husband, Robert; her son, Thomas (Tom); her parents; brother and sisters-in-law; Lloyd and Germaine Cronin; William and Merlyn Cronin; Joseph and Marie Cronin; Francis Cronin and Kenneth Cronin; in-laws Adeline and Leo Beckmann; Lorraine (Eddie) Herrig; Orline and Roland Porter; Marvin and Rose Mary Mai; and George Wilmes.
Casket bearers will be Ken Mai, Josh Hoerth, Nick Hardy, Pat Mai, Marcus Mai, Dan Mai, Robert Mai, Adam Konopasek, Brad Konopasek, Brady Aldrich, Justin Aldrich