Marilyn Mahoney

Funeral services for Marilyn Mahoney of Morris, Minnesota, will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church in Morris.  Father Todd Schneider will celebrate the mass.  A visitation will be on Thursday, February 22, from 5-7:00 p.m. with a prayer service and rosary beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Friday. Burial will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Morris.  

Marilyn Mae Hennen was born June 4, 1928, to John and Helen (Beimel) Hennen at their farm home six miles south of Alberta, MN and was the second of nine children.  She attended grade school, through 8^th grade, at a country school near the farm and spent her high school years at the West Central School of Agriculture (WCSA) in Morris, graduating in March of 1946.  

It was at a family gathering where Marilyn met the love of her life, Donald Francis Mahoney.  Marilyn’s uncle, George Hennen, was married to Don’s aunt, Mary Mahoney, and the two lived in California.  One summer, George and Mary came back to Minnesota to visit, and the two families decided to hold a gathering.  That is where Marilyn and Don first met.  A couple of years later, they met again in a classroom at the WCSA and became high school sweethearts.  The two were later married on June 10, 1947.  They spent the first 14 years living in Morris, and later purchased a farm site southwest of town where they spent the next 43 years together raising a family of seven children.  They were married for nearly 58 years until the time of Don’s death in 2005.

On the farm, Marilyn spent many hours gardening, canning, baking, cooking, cleaning, & sewing.  In her “spare time” she butchered the chickens, pasteurized the milk & cream, and was the family nurse and barber.  However busy she was, if you stopped by the farm, you were welcomed in, and once you were there, you were going to eat.  Whether it was cookies, pie, or a home-cooked meal, no one left without eating first. In later years, Marilyn worked as a Home Health Aide and as a Clerk at Bon Jos in Morris.  She was not known as a world traveler but did manage to venture away from Minnesota on occasion, highlighted by trips to visit George & Mary in California in 1947, to Hawaii in 1980, a couple of trips to Texas and Florida, and did travel once overseas to Europe in 2003 to see her nephew, Thom, ordained.

Marilyn was a life-long member of Assumption Catholic Church in Morris and spent many years serving on the St. Patrick’s Mission circle, Christian Mothers organization, and church guild.  She was an avid reader.  It was not unusual to find several books, magazines, letters, daily devotionals, and rosaries on her nightstand, by her easy chair, and most recently in her walker.   Next to that, you would likely find any variety of cookie or chocolate, as Marilyn undeniably had a sweet tooth.   However, what she loved more than anything was her family and that love was unconditional.  Marilyn was a wonderful daughter, sibling, wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.  

Marilyn spent the last two years at Julia’s Place in Hancock where she was shown great love and compassion.  It was there that she passed away peacefully on Friday, February 16, 2024, living to reach the age of 95 years.

She is survived by six children: Bob Mahoney of Kensington, Steve Mahoney of Kensington, Dick (Deb) Mahoney of Morris, Patti (Rich) Rose of Cambridge, Jim (Beth) Mahoney of Worthington, and Mike (Peggy) Mahoney of Morris; son-in-law Scott Munsterman; 18 grandchildren: Paul (Christine) Mahoney, Jeff (Brittani) Mahoney, Dan (Leah) Mahoney, Lori (Chad) Munsterman, Renae (Mike) Kiser, John (Kitty) Mahoney, Mark (Anne) Mahoney, Michael (Annie) Rose, Mariah (Evan) Gilmore, Patrick (Jenalee) Mahoney, Megan (Nate) Copeland, Jennifer (Trevor) Seales, Ashley Munsterman, Heather (Morgan) Holler, Michelle Munsterman, Amy (Zeke) Wills, Lexi (Rylee) Peterson, and Morgan (Tommy) Hiedeman; 39 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; four siblings and their spouses: Lois Johnson, Ed (Nancy) Hennen, Stan (Diane) Hennen, and Peg Schwendeman; sisters-in-law: Shirley Hennen and LaDonna Stock; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Donald Mahoney; daughter, Mary Jeanne Munsterman; daughter-in-law, Ann Sorenson-Mahoney; grandson, Nick Mahoney; great-granddaughter, Genevieve Mahoney; siblings: John (Jo’an) Hennen, Richard Hennen, Lynette (Keith) Cox, and Roger Hennen; and brothers-in-law & sisters-in-law: Ken Johnson and Mike Schwendeman, Duane Mahoney, and Mary Lou (Pete) Woodard. 

Pedersen Funeral Home in Morris is in the care of arrangements for Marilyn.