Mary Ann Sievers

Mary Ann Sievers, age 78, of Winfred, SD went to join her husband in Heaven on March 23, 2024, at Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison. Services will be 9:30 AM, Saturday, March 30, 2024, at Willoughby Funeral Home in Howard. Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery, Howard. Visitation will be 5-7 PM, Friday at the funeral home.

She was born Mary Ann Gray on May 12, 1945, in Des Moines, Iowa to Michael (Joe) and Mildred (Kennedy) Gray.  The family moved to Davenport, Iowa, where she graduated from Assumption High School.  After graduating from McConnell Airline School in Minneapolis she moved to Chicago where she met her husband, Dewayne. They were married in Davenport, IA on December 4, 1965 and returned to Chicago to make their first home. They returned to the family farm in South Dakota in 1969, where they raised their four children: Dianne (Daniel) Dawson, Dan (Karen), David (Ginger) and Debra (Steve) Nelson. Mary Ann and Dewayne were blessed with 14 grandchildren who kept them busy and active into their retirement years. She was affectionally referred to as “Omie” by her grandchildren and their friends which is a German word for Grandma. After raising the children to school age Mary Ann began work at the Howard Good Samaritan Center caring for a multitude of people.  She was known to offer extra TLC to many of these people in need, bringing them special gifts and treats brought her much joy. She rarely missed work and was someone others could count on for help. She was awarded at retirement for having served those who needed it for over 25 years. “Omie” was serious about giving gifts to her grandchildren.  Everyone would have the same number of gifts, which would be numbered in the order to be opened. All of her family looked forward to those large family gatherings together.

Omie loved everything “Irish,” and was very proud of her full-blooded Irish lineage. A traditional Irish blessing hung in her home for many years: “May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sunshine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.” Dewayne and Mary Ann loved their children, and they raised them all to graduate college and have successful careers, which made them both very proud. They loved to dance together throughout the years at social events or in their kitchen, wherever the feeling caught them. In 2011 they both retired and spent many months traveling through Florida, California, Texas, Alaska, and an annual trip to Branson, Missouri in addition to attending their grandchildren’s sporting events. In all, Mary Ann and Dewayne traveled by pick up and camper through all 49 continental states, as well as Canada and Mexico. Many of these destinations were to attend Danny O’Donnell shows, Olympic Figure Skating, and traveling with friends.

In later years Mary Ann suffered from Alzheimer’s and Dewayne was a staple in her memory care unit; bringing cookies for everyone to enjoy. She recently moved to Bethel Lutheran Home in Madison, SD where she will be remembered for her beautiful smile and the Irish twinkle in her blue eyes. Although her memory and recall was impaired, she still often greeted her family with warm smiles and a chuckle, just like days of old.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dewayne on February 8, 2024, her parents, two brothers, Giles and Charles Gray, a very special son in law, Dan Dawson, and many important people from her Iowa Family.

She is survived by her children, Dianne, Dan (Karen), David (Ginger), and Debra (Steve) Nelson. Fourteen grandchildren, Jacob (Rachel), Michael (Nikki), and Nathan (Jessica) Dawson.  Kelsey (Zebadiah) Selu, Meaghan, Devon (Jada), Danielle, and Aidan Sievers, Derek (Kelsey), Luke and Kate Sievers, Grace (Paydon) Casper, Audrey and Lydia Nelson as well as five great grandchildren. Her family is extremely grateful for the love, compassion and kindness she received from her Bethel family.

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