Mary Lietz, 100
Fri, 01/29/2021 - 9:28am
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April 6, 1920 —
Jan. 21, 2021
HARMONY - Mary Ellen (Webb) Lietz, age 100, of Harmony, Minn. died on Jan. 21, 2021, at Gundersen Harmony Care Center.
A private family service will be held on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 28, at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Granger, Minn. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Mary was born on April 6, 1920, at Altoona, Iowa, the daughter of James M. and Louisa Webb. She attended rural grade school in Minnesota at Bristol Grove School #151 and one year at Harmony High School. The family moved to Howard County, Iowa, where she attended Cresco High School, graduating in 1938 with a Normal Training Certificate.
For several years, she taught at rural schools in Howard County and later attended Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, graduating in 1966 with a B.A. in elementary education. Mary enjoyed teaching kindergarten in Howard- Winneshiek Schools for 35 years.
On April 22, 1942, she married Henry W. Lietz at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Granger. They farmed there until Henry died in 1998. In 2003, she married Oliver Johnson and moved to Harmony.
Mary was a faithful member of St. Matthew’s Church, holding various offices in WMF, WELCA and the Rachel Circle. She also taught Sunday school and Bible school and sang in the church choir. She was secretary-treasurer of St. Matthew’s Cemetery and Oak Hill Cemetery for many years. She enjoyed sewing and making quilt tops for church projects. She also enjoyed gardening, flowers, traveling and entertaining. With failing health, she entered the Gundersen Harmony Care Center in 2015.
Mary is survived by two stepsons, William (Carol) Johnson of Bullhead City, Ariz. and Stanley (Marge) Johnson of Rochester, Minn.; one stepdaughter, Judith (Earl) Knutson of Calmar, Iowa; several step-grandchildren and great-step-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Loretta Lietz of Cresco and Delone Beaubien of Rochester; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, three brothers and one sister.
Memorials may be made in Mary’s name to the charity of the donor’s choice. Lindstrom Funeral Home in Cresco is in charge of arrangements.
