Obituary of Mary Ronnfeldt

Margaret Mary Ann (Knox) Ronnfeldt, daughter of Francis and Laura (Snell) Knox, was born May 9, 1934 in Winneshiek County, Iowa at the family farm. After graduating from Canton Minnesota High School in 1952, Mary attended secretarial business school in Winona, Minnesota. On December 29, 1955, Mary married Walter G. Ronnfeldt at Saint Agnes Catholic Church near Burr Oak, Iowa; he preceded her in death on January 14, 2003. For three years after their marriage, Mary worked for River Products Inc. in Iowa City as a secretarial clerk before staying at home to raise the children. Together, Mary and Walt lived in several Iowa communities before settling in Hartley, Iowa in 1968. Mary was a loving wife, mother and homemaker who enjoyed spending time caring for her family. Starting in 1969, when Walt co-founded Hartley Drug, Mary served as a business partner/officer, worked as bookkeeper for a time, assisted in the adjoining fabric center and joined in buying trips. Mary loved to sew and passed the craft on to her daughters. She was an active leader in Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church and Altar Society, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church religion classes, Y’Adnom ladies club, women's investment club, 4H, Boy Scouts, Athletic and Band Boosters. In addition to their own six children, Mary and Walt hosted five foreign exchange students from Colombia, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, and Sweden. Left to cherish Mary’s memory are her six children and their spouses Phyllis Ronnfeldt of Cascade, Iowa; Mike (Audrey) Ronnfeldt of Derby, Kansas; Don (Jacque) Ronnfeldt of Iowa City, Iowa; Tom (Jean) Ronnfeldt of Bloomington, Minnesota; Nancy (James) Litwin of Edina, Minnesota; Joan (Pete) Seitz of Cascade, Iowa; 15 grandchildren; one brother Marvin (Bette) Knox of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Janice Knox of Canton, Minnesota; Helen (Zeno) Kappes of Burr Oak, Iowa; Bill (Karen) Ronnfeldt of Omaha, Nebraska; Ellen Ronnfeldt of Waterville, Iowa; Robert Ronnfeldt of McGregor, Iowa; Janice (Jim) Pfiffner of Harper’s Ferry, Iowa; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walt; parents; parents-in-law, Christopher and Nora Ronnfeldt; infant daughter, Ellen Marie; daughter-in-law, Gwen Ronnfeldt; brothers, Earl and Maurice Knox; sister-in-law and brothers-in-law, June, Vernon and Alfred Ronnfeldt. In Celebration of Life Margaret “Mary” Ronnfeldt Born ~ May 9, 1934 Died ~ March 10, 2013 Age ~ 78 years 10 months 1 day Funeral Service 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 16, 2013 St. Joseph’s Catholic Hartley, Iowa Clergy ~ Fr. Tim Hogan Organist ~ Donna McCarty Vocalists ~ J.T. Ronnfeldt & Abby Ronnfeldt Congregational Singing Processional ~ “Amazing Grace” #428 “We Remember” #446 “Here I Am Lord” #377 “Song of Farewell” #688 Recessional ~ “On Eagle’s Wings” #434 Pallbearers Christopher Ronnfeldt Justin Ronnfeldt J.T. Ronnfeldt Andrew Ronnfeldt Tyler Ronnfeldt Matthew Ronnfeldt Zachary Litwin Raymond Seitz Ushers Terry Hilbert ~ Tim Hilbert Interment Pleasant View Cemetery Hartley, Iowa Mary’s family wishes to thank the staff at Shady Rest Care Center for providing Mary loving kindness and compassion during her time in their care. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Mary, to: Walter G. Ronnfeldt Scholarship Fund c/o Tom Ronnfeldt 10101 Nesbitt Avenue S. Bloomington, MN 55437