Mary Hyke, 86

 

Sept. 27, 1931 —
Dec. 10, 2017
 
CRESCO - Mary Gene Hyke, age 86, of Cresco, Iowa, died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, at St. Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn. 
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco, with Father Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery Lourdes, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. Rosary preceding the visitation on Thursday, Dec. 14, at Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home, Cresco. Visitation will continue an hour prior to the time of service Friday at the church. 
Mary Gene Ferrie was born on Sept. 27, 1931, the daughter of Irven and Margaret (Fitzgerald) Ferrie, on their farm near Schley. She attended rural country school and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Cresco. 
After graduation Mary Gene received her LPN from St. Marys in Rochester and then was employed at the Cresco Hospital. On Oct. 24, 1953, she married Thomas Hyke at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cresco. Together they had four children and farmed near Lourdes. 
Mary Gene was a very hard worker. She was in charge of making sure the cows were milked, as well as other chores around the farm. She was a very active member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church. After Tom died in 1982, Mary Gene renewed her LPN license and worked at Cresco Care Center for 19 years. Later she and her family moved to Cresco. She was very active in the Notre Dame Church. 
At the age of 70, she became one of the oldest kidney transplant recipients at Mayo Clinic. Due to her transplant she could no longer work as a nurse, so she became a very active volunteer. She delivered Meals-on-Wheels, helped with BINGO at Cresco Care Center, made noodles for the Howard County Fair church booth, tied quilts at the church, folded bulletins, visited the sick and volunteered for Hospice. She enjoyed baking, needle point, polka music, reading and word searches. She liked staying fit by walking at the Cresco Fitness Center. She made the best homemade chicken noodle soup, banana bread and potato salad. 
Mary Gene had a very strong faith and attended Mass several times a week, had a book of prayers she said every morning and prayed the Rosary daily. If there ever was anyone in a time of need, Mary Gene would be there to help and pray the Rosary for them. She had the sweetest smile and twinkle in her eyes that would melt your heart and let you know how deeply she cared.
Most of all, Mary Gene loved being with her kids and grandkids, spoiling them with homemade cookies. 
She is survived by her daughters, Julie (Norbert) Loftus of Lourdes, Patty (Ron) Orthaus of New Hampton, Iowa and Mary Jo (Jeff) Rings of New Hampton; 10 grandchildren, Heather (Nate Johnson) Loftus, Derrick (fiancé Whitney Molln) Loftus, Brooke Loftus, Will Orthaus, Devin Orthaus, Daniel Orthaus, Adrian Rings, Alexis Rings, Gavin Rings and Kinslee Rings; her brother, Joe (Marie) Ferrie; sister, Agnes Arnburg; and sisters-in-law, Doris Ferrie, Darlene Ferrie, JoAnn Ferrie, Mary Ann Bollman and Virginia Nehl.
Mary Gene was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Tom (1982); infant son, (1973); son, Danny (1992); sisters, Sister Mary Denise and Anicetus; and her brothers, Leland, Pete, Ron, Cecil, Art and Jerome.

Cresco Times

Phone: 563-547-3601
Fax: 563-547-4602

Address:
Cresco TPD
214 N. Elm Street
Cresco, IA 52136

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