Mary Elaine Hoye

Funeral Mass will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Storm Lake. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Storm Lake. Visitation will take place Friday, August 21, 2015 from 6-8:00 p.m. with a rosary service at 6:00 p.m. and a Celebration of Life Service at 7:00 p.m. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Mary Elaine Kelly was born May 2, 1919 in her home in Fonda, Iowa to E.J. (Joe) and Hazel (O’Donnell) Kelly. In 1929, she moved with her parents and four brothers, Louis, James, Edward (Keith) and Francis to a farm outside Varina. She graduated from St. Columbkille’s School in Varina in 1937 with a class size of four. She graduated from the American Institute of Business in Des Moines with a certificate of honor and departed for Washington D.C. where she had been hired as a correspondence and personnel clerk with the Department of Agriculture. On February 22, 1943, she married Thomas E. Hoye, her childhood sweetheart, and returned to Washington D.C. to wait for the end of the war and the return of her husband. In 1945, Tom was honorably discharged from the army, Mary Elaine resigned her government position and the young married couple headed back to Iowa. By 1949, Tom and Mary had taken up farming near Rembrandt, Iowa where they raised their young family. In 1963, they left the farm and moved to Storm Lake, Iowa. Tom passed away in January of 1972, and Mary worked in Storm Lake until 1982. Over the span of ten years she worked at the Storm Lake Hospital and the Morgan Nursing Home as a nurse’s aide and as a cook at St. Mary’s School. Mary retired at the age of 62 from Security Trust and Savings Bank where she worked as an administrative assistant. Mary moved to Pleasant View Nursing Home in 2005 where she resided until her passing on August 19, 2015. Mary is survived by her children: Sister Elena Hoye of Dubuque; Rose and Sid Davis of Havelock; Jim and Michelle (Nees) Hoye of Rock Rapids; Patrick and Renee (Fry) Hoye of Peasant Hill; and daughter-in-law, Mrs. Joe Hoye (Connie Gard) of Storm Lake. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; brother Francis and wife Jackie Kelly of Varina; sister-in-law Mary Kelly of Storm Lake and the many who were forever changed by her deep faith and compassion. Over the years, Mary served her Church faithfully as Eucharistic Minister, RCIA Sponsor, Associate of the Sisters of the Presentation, and a member of the Sursam Corda prayer group at Storm Lake St. Mary’s Catholic Parish. Mary had an infectious smile, a deep-seated competitive streak in a game of cards and a love of her Irish heritage and Catholic faith that was unmatched. Mary loved to travel and went to many states and Canada with her children and friends, but the highlight of her travels was her trip to Ireland. She was known to say that the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen in life was the sun setting over Galway Bay. She is preceded in death by her husband, son, parents and three brothers.

Mary Elaine Hoye

May 2, 1919 - August 19, 2015