Mary Shea, age 101, of Philip formerly of Winner, South Dakota, died on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2019 at the Philip Nursing Home.
Mary Margaret Peters was born Jan. 8, 1918 at Colome, South Dakota, to Paul and Nora (London) Peters. As a child Mary lived in the Colome area, as well as, Gretna, Nebraska, while she was growing up. Mary was the oldest of five children and helped her mom with her four younger brothers. She graduated as valedictorian from Colome High School in 1939 and attended Springfield Teachers College. After attending college, she taught school and worked in a government office in Kennebec, South Dakota.
On Oct. 24, 1945, she was united in marriage to Donald F. Shea at St. Isidore’s Catholic Church in Colome. To this union four children were born: LeRoy, Dennis, Peggy, and Marilyn.
Mary was an excellent cook and baker and loved to feed family and friends. Her hobbies included: playing cards, dancing, baking, cooking, gardening, canning, crocheting, sewing, jigsaw puzzles, and crossword puzzles. While raising her family, she baked homemade bread and cinnamon rolls once a week. She did a lot of crocheting, including making an afghan for each of her eleven grandchildren as well as “double-knit” block quilts for them. She loved to have visitors as well. In the later years she especially loved visits with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She was a member of St. Isidore’s Catholic Church of Colome and Immaculate Conception Church in Winner, Willing Workers Extension Club, Catholic Daughters of America in Colome and Winner, the Colome American Legion Auxiliary, and Retired Teachers Association.
Grateful for having shared Mary’s life are two sons: LeRoy (Sandi) of Winthrop Harbor, IL, and Dennis (Judith) Shea of San Diego, CA; two daughters: Peggy (Rick) Palecek of Philip, and Marilyn (Pete) Anderson of Brookings; eleven grandchildren: Nikki (Jim) Rhomberg, Phillip (Katie) Shea, Samuel (Kim) Shea, Donald (Patty) Shea, Laura (Chris) Coyne, Daniel (Christina) Shea, John (Allison) Palecek, Daniel (Tracy) Palecek, Anne (Alex) Chmura, Shaun (Jess) Malady, and Conan Malady; 21 great-grandchildren: Emmalee and Andrew Rhomberg, Claire, Madeline, Colin, and DanniRose Shea, William, Joshua and Emma Shea, Anthony and Jacob Torres, Addison and James Shea, James, Georgia and Jack Palecek, Lily, Elizabeth, and Vivian Chmura, and Luna and Leo Malady; one brother Paul Peters; one sister-in-law, Martha Peters; and a host of other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband Donald in February of 1988; her parents Paul and Nora Peters; and three brothers, Jack, Gene (Ginger), Leroy (Mary) Peters, and sister-in-law Norma Peters.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 19, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner.
Interment followed the luncheon after the funeral at the Colome Cemetery.
Arrangements are with Rush Funeral Home of Philip.
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