Mary Emma Rhodman, 100 years 2 months and 16 days old, passed away on July 16, 2023, in Fremont. She was born on April 30, 1923, to Joseph and Millie (Had) Hinek in Waubun, Minnesota. Mary's father passed away when she was nine years old and Mary lived with some other families until her mother was able to move to Redwood Falls, Minnesota with her three sisters, Eleanor, Josephine, and Georgia Ann and Uncle Frank.
After meeting in Minnesota Mary married Cecil Rhodman of Pierce in Berwyn, Ill., on March 11, 1945 at St. Mary's Catholic Church. She was working at Western Electric and Cecil was in the Army stationed in the Aleutian Islands off of Alaska during WWII. They moved to Bertha, for a short while before moving into Oakland, where they raised Eugene and Rosalie. Mary worked at the Mead Ordnance Plant mixing TNT, and loved her job at the Oakland Memorial Hospital where she was a certified surgical technician and a management purchaser. She enjoyed working with the doctors and helping the patients for 31 years. She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church of Lyons where she was a Eucharistic Minister, named Woman of the Year in 1998, and had the privilege of helping for three years the. Jansen quintuplets, Carter, Miranda, Elijah, Taylor, and Nicholas becoming
"Grandmother Mary".
Mary loved traveling with Rosalie to a variety of places: Germany, cruising down the Rhine, going by land and sea to Alaska, sightseeing in Austria and Switzerland, touring Italy with Father Michael Grewe seeing Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii, and the farthest trip away to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. All wonderful times, places, and memories were made with a special group of friends.
Mary moved to Fremont in 2000 to be closer to family and worked for 17 years at Keene Memorial Library, retiring when she was 94 years old. Mary worked hard all her life. She had many friends and loving family near and far. Mary loved baking goodies for the coworkers' birthdays. She was also known as "Mrs. Clean" in the neighborhood.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil: her parents, two sisters, Eleanor and Josie plus their husbands Jim and David, and a brother-in-law, Arnie.
Mary is survived by her son, Eugene (Kris) of Omaha, her granddaughter Renee (Eric) Marshall of Burnsville, Minnesota and daughter, Rosalie of Fremont: her sister, Georgia Ann Eischens of Willmar, Minnesota and many nieces and nephews. Plus all the loving and caring members of Bobette's Home Care team.
Memorial Mass, Saturday, July 22, 2023, 10 a.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fremont.
Memorial Visitation, Friday, 5 to 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fremont, Rosary will be held at 7 p.m.
Private family burial at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials directed to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church of Fremont, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church of Lyons and Keene Memorial Library in Fremont.
Arrangements by Pelan Funeral Services. www.pelanfuneralservices.com
