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Photo of Mary J. (Helland) Finn

Mary J. (Helland) Finn

1/16/1930 - 3/24/2016


Obituary


Mary Finn passed through the golden gates to heaven on Thursday, March 24, 2016 at Agrace Hospice Center in Madison, Wisconsin at the age of 86. She was born on January 16, 1930 in Belmond, Iowa, the daughter of Dorothy and L. M. Helland. She graduated from Belmond High School in 1948 and several days later married her “sweetheart”, Orland Finn on June 24, 1948. They resided in the Belmond area until 1967 at which time they moved to Evansville, Wisconsin. Mary was a secretary for Maas Insurance Agency and then for the Wisconsin Gas Company. Mary and Orland moved to Dell Rapids, South Dakota where they resided until her retirement as a secretary from St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Orland and Mary followed their dream to relax and live by the lake—Leech Lake, Minnesota. Just 1 day shy of celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, Orland passed away on June 24, 1998. Mary then moved back to Evansville to be close to her family.

Orland and Mary thoroughly loved to travel in their RV and 5th wheel—taking family trips to Disneyworld in Florida, visiting their son and family in Georgia, going fishing on the Missouri River in South Dakota and on Leech Lake, Minnesota, and last but not least spending time as “Winter Texans” in Raymondville, Texas where everyone, there, became their “second” family.

Mary loved to be outside planting all her flowers, tending her big garden, fishing, golfing, getting in a little gambling every so often, spending time with family and friends, and last but not least having her “toddy” at the end of the day.

Mary is survived by her daughter, Jammie (Steve) Fellows (Evansville) and son, Dennis (Charmaine) Finn, (Woodbine, Georgia); 5 grandchildren: Wyatt (Melissa) Fellows, Casey Fellows Schlacher, Kerry (Ted) Brown, Patrick (April) Finn, and David (Danna) Finn. 10 great-grandchildren: Alivia & Will Fellows, Adler Schlacher, Georgia & Logan Brown, Sean Finn, Madilyn, Elaina, Caroline, and Nathan Finn; Brother, David (Sandy) Helland, sister-in-law, Peggy Halverson & brother-in-law, Roger (Mary) Finn and many nieces and nephews and all the friends she made throughout all the places she lived, especially all her ”Winter Texan” friends in Raymondville, Texas. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, husband, her babies she lost at birth, her sister, Marjorie Dean Thompson and many brother and sister in-laws

A visitation will be held at Ward-Hurtley Funeral Home Evansville, WI. on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 from 6:00-7:30 pm. A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 10:30am at St. Francis Xavier Church Belmond, Iowa with Reverend Jerry W. Blake officiating. Burial will follow in St. Francis Cemetery, Belmond. A visitation will be held from 10:00am until the time of service at the church on Friday.

Special thanks to all of those who took care of her during her short stay at Agrace—her family appreciates all the beautiful care she received from her “earthly angels”.