Mary Grahlman

Mary Grahlman

 

 

Mary E. Grahlman, 72, of Sumner, died Friday, August 1, 2014, at her rural Sumner home.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at Becker-Milnes Funeral Chapel in Hawkeye. 

Interment followed at Bethel Cemetery, rural Hawkeye.  

Friends called from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Monday, August 4th at Becker-Milnes Funeral Home in Hawkeye and for one hour preceding services at the chapel on Tuesday.

Memorials may be made to Cedar Valley Hospice or Northeast Iowa Antique Engine Club.

Online condolences may be left at www.beckermilnesrettig.com.

Mary Eleanor, daughter of Edward and Martha Heaps Armstrong, was born March 29, 1942, at Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1960, she graduated from North Caroline High School in Ridgely, Maryland and Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa in 1972.

She was united in marriage with Walter Griffin in 1961. Three children were born to this union, Rebecca, Kathleen, and Shawn.

On December 29, 1984, Mary was married to Mitchell Grahlman at rural Sumner, Iowa.

She served as Secretary of the Fayette County Democratic Party from 1972 to 1978, and ran for Fayette County Recorder in 1974. She served as Activities Director at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in West Union, and worked as a librarian at Fayette Community, Valley Community, and North Fayette Community Schools prior to retiring in 1986. She later owned and operated the Sumner Bakery for a brief time.

Mary enjoyed gardening and was a member of the Trailblazers Snowmobile Club.

In addition to her husband, Mitchell of rural Sumner, she is survived by three children, Rebecca (Robert) Haley of St. Joseph, Missouri, Kathleen (Hank) Anzis of Marshalltown, and Dr. Shawn (Katherine) Griffin of Missouri City, Texas; three step daughters, Danette (Timothy) Cronin and Kelli (Thomas) Paulsen, both of Marion, and Leslie (Richard) Usher of New Hampton; nineteen grandchildren; one brother, Phillip (Maggi) Armstrong of Cortland, Ohio; and one sister, Barbara (Warren) Baity of Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; one grandson; one sister; and one niece.        32u32

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