Mary Engrav
Mary F. Engrav, 55, of Waukon died Monday, February 5, 2018 from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while traveling with her sisters, Joan Lyons and Barb Winters-Kelly, near Hopkinsville, KY. Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 13 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. Mark Osterhaus and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial was at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Cemetery, Waukon.
Mary Francis Engrav was born August 10, 1962 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, the daughter of Donald and Janette (Monroe) Ryder. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon and attended St. Patrick School through the sixth grade. After graduating from Waukon High School, Mary received her associate degree in early childhood development from NICC in Calmar.
April 16, 1983, Mary married Steve Engrav at St. Patrick Catholic Church. She ran an in-home daycare in addition to working at Sunflower Child Care in Decorah. She then went to work for Good Samaritan Center in Waukon, first as the head cook then currently as a laundry aide for close to 25 years.
With her sister and brother-in-law, Charlene and Jim Baxter, Mary established BE Catered, which has been in business for 10 years. There she got to use her love for cooking and baking for all sorts of events and especially took pride in catering the annual Christmas Fantasy in Waukon. Mary was always willing to donate time to everyone in need and volunteered to make soup for St. Patrick’s annual soup supper and cook for the Allamakee County Fair.
Mary loved spending time with friends and family, particularly her grandkids. To celebrate beating breast cancer, Mary and some family attended a Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney concert in the Twin Cities. She enjoyed hosting parties and was big into Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Never one to shy away from fun, Mary would frequently dance with her sister, Joan, and it was a sure bet that there would be a dance-off at any wedding.
She enjoyed being in the sun, whether it was out boating on the river, swimming or traveling to Hawaii and the Bahamas to be at the ocean. Mary also enjoyed shopping, Iowa Hawkeye football, watching the Hallmark channel, and gleaning décor tips from HGTV. She was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.
She is survived by her husband, Steve Engrav of Waukon; her three children: Nic (Kim) Engrav of Waukon, Ryan (Brittni) Engrav of Iowa City and Jeremy (Betsy) Engrav of Waukon; her grandchildren: Dominic, Deven, Evelynn, Edward, Brayden, Brecken, Brantley and Briar; her mother, Janette Ryder Blong of Waukon; her siblings: Barb (Wayne) Winters-Kelly, Patty (Steve) Scholtes, Cathy (Keith) Dahlstrom, Charlene (Jim) Baxter, Bill Ryder, Peggy (Curt) Reiser, Tom Ryder and Donna (Rich) Kelly; her brother-in-law, Danny Lyons; an aunt, Sr. Mary Bosco Ryder; her father- and mother-in-law, Walter and Betty Engrav; and several nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by her father, Donald Ryder; her sister, Joan Lyons; her aunt, Betty Ryder; her stepfather, Gerald Blong; her brother-in-law, Dennis Winters; and her sister-in-law, Patty Thorton.
Honorary casketbearers were Charlene and Jim Baxter, Barb and Wayne Winters-Kelly, Bill and Tom Ryder, her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, Connie Regan, Connie Rocksvold, Sue Gavin and Kay Deeny. Casketbearers were Dale Meyer, Mike Lorimer, Brody Baxter, Ron and Mike Adam, and Heath Winters.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
