Mary Hanlon

Mary Hanlon, 82, of Belle Plaine, passed away in her living room at 2:30 a.m. on Monday, April 25, 2011. She spent Easter Sunday surrounded by her family in her farmhouse in Derrynane Township, Le Sueur County. Mary had a rare cancer and her large family were her Hospice caregivers from the beginning to the end of her much-enjoyed life. Mary Bessie David was born on March 19, 1929, in a house that her father, Tom David, built in Montgomery, Minnesota. Mary later was given the extra middle name of Josephine, having been born on St. Joseph's Day. Her parents were Mary Rehor David and Thomas David of Montgomery. She was one of five children, and was born 21 years later than her sister. While on the farm, Mary's family raised the usual crops, plus ginseng, sorghum, sugar beets, bees, hemp, and flax seeds. Mary and her younger brother, Ted, and their parents moved to their farm on the Eastern edge of Le Sueur County. She often joked that when she married Jerry Hanlon, that she moved all the way to the western side of Le Sueur County. When Mary started school, she spoke only Czech, so after learning English, Mary remained bilingual for the rest of her life. Mary attended Country Grade School, then went to St. Raphael's Catholic School in Montgomery until eighth grade, and then to the Montgomery High School. Mary met her husband, Jerry, while dancing at the Heidelberg Dance Hall in the late 1940's. They were married on October 8, 1949, at the Holy Redeemer Church in Montgomery. In October 1999, Mary and Jerry celebrated their 50th anniversary with Mass at St. Thomas and dinner and dancing at the Park Ballroom in New Prague. Jerry and Mary raised eight children in the farmhouse where Jerry grew up, three daughters and five sons. Mary was a hard worker her whole life. She instilled that idea in her children and told them to take risks and to enjoy life and to go for their dreams. Besides running the household and caring for eight children, Mary drove the tractor for baling hay. She was a great cook and taught her daughters to make the Czech Kolackies. Mary loved being a "Mom". Mary was a seamstress and sewed her children's clothes and did sewing for others, including wedding gowns and church vestments. She worked in New Prague at the sewing shops and also at the Montgomery Hilltop Dry Cleaners, which was owned by her sister. Then, Mary went on to become an Avon Lady for 24 years, just missing her 25-year mark, which had been her goal to attain. Mary liked to think "outside the box". She was a Red Hats Lady and was known to all as the "Purple Lady". Purple was her color from childhood. After Jerry died at Christmas 2003, Mary had the old farm silo painted purple with Red Hats on the sides. She had her house painted an earthtone purple with white trim, which suited her. She planted hundreds of flowers each year, mostly purple of course, hanging them off the windmill and around the trees and granaries. Mary belonged to many groups. She was a Home Extension member since it began in 1950, her Bridge Club from 1950, the Card-O-Rama Club, an officer of the Irish Hibernians, the Czech Sokol Club, a St. Thomas Church officer during its Centennial, a Le Sueur County Election Judge, and an organizer of many social events. She belonged to the Belle Plaine Red Hats and the Montgomery Red Hats Clubs and loved dressing up in the finery. Mary and her daughter, Eileen, toured the Czech Republic in 2004 and Mary did the translating and enjoyed speaking Czech once again. Mary and Jerry had toured Ireland in 1987. Mary continued to winter in Apache Junction, Arizona after Jerry died. She loved all the singing and dancing and great friends that she had there since 1987. She was one of the organizers of the Belle Plaine Days held yearly in Arizona and was the treasurer of her Park's Social Club for many years. Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Jerry, her parents, her brothers, Tommy and Milo, and her sister, Luddie. Mary is survived by her children: Eileen of Belle Plaine, David (Jennie) of Arizona, Sharon (David Rawlings) of Florida, Dan (Carol) of Burnsville, Tom (Gwen) of Eagan, Terry of Prior Lake, Bob (Margaret) of Chaska, and Susie of Belle Plaine. She has 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She has one brother, Ted David, of Rochester and nieces and nephews. The Visitation will be at Kolden's Funeral Home in Belle Plaine from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 29. A rosary will be said at 8:00 p.m. Visitation will continue on Saturday morning, April 30, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the St. Thomas Catholic Church in Le Sueur County. The Funeral Mass is at St. Thomas Church at 10:30 a.m. with lunch following in the church basement. Fr. Roger Hessian and Fr. George Grafsky will officiate at the Mass. Mary will be buried next to Jerry in the Sacred Heart Cemetery in Belle Plaine. Her grandchildren will be her casketbearers.