Obituaries : Marian (Mary) Siegfreid

Marian (Mary) Siegfreid, 94, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019, at her home after a seven-month battle with ovarian cancer.

Mary was born Sept. 12, 1925, on a farm in Big Grove Township, Benton Country, Iowa, the daughter of George and Elsie (Hanneman) Schueler. Mary was baptized into the faith of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod on Oct. 4, 1925, at her home. She was confirmed March 17, 1940, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church, LCMS in Van Horne, Iowa.

Mary attended country school for eight years and graduated from Vinton High School, Vinton, Iowa, in 1942. Upon completion of high school, Mary attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and graduated in 1946 with a degree in sociology. After college, Mary moved to Austin, where she was employed as a social worker for Mower County from 1946-1953. It was during that time that she walked into Austin State Bank on business and met her future husband, Melvin, an employee of the bank.

On June 29, 1947, Mary was united in marriage to Melvin Siegfreid at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Van Horne. This marriage was blessed with two children: Dale in 1954 and Gale in 1957. In 1973, Mary returned to work as a financial worker for Mower County Social Services. She worked there until her retirement in 1989.

Mary was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Austin, where she served on many committees. She also served on the board of the Austin Artist Series and AAUW. For the past several years, Mary volunteered at Banfield Elementary School. She was very proud of volunteering and looked forward to being there every week.

Mary loved watching and attending sporting events, dancing, playing cards, going on family vacations, attending Broadway shows and spending time with her family. Her biggest smile and enjoyment came from spending time with her two grandchildren, Joseph and Laura.

Mary's faith was very strong. Her belief in her Savior Jesus Christ carried her through this most difficult journey as well as many years of severe and debilitating back pain.

Mary is survived by her two children, Dale (Lori) Siegfreid and Gale (Dick Heuton) Siegfreid; two grandchildren, Joseph Siegfreid (friend Rose Armstrong) and Laura (Corbin) Brocker; and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Elsie Schueler; and her husband, Melvin Siegfreid.

The family would like to thank the many friends who spent time with her and cared for her during her illness. A very special thank you goes to Heartland Hospice, specifically Elisha and Lisa. The love and care they showed will never be forgotten

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Austin. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. Interment will be in Grandview Cemetery in Austin. Memorials are preferred to St. John's Lutheran Church in Austin. Worlein Funeral Home of Austin is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.worlein.com.