Mary K. Siefer

Mary Siefer, age 86, of Storm Lake, Iowa passed away Sunday, June 16, 2013 at her home after a short illness. Our mother, Mary Katherine Siefer, was born March 20, 1927 to Charles and Clara Wiedeburg in what she later referred to as the â€œwindy hillsâ€ of Burns, Wyoming. She had a twin sister Marian, an older sister Naomi, and a younger brother Jack. A child of the depression, she always claimed that her family considered themselves very lucky because her father had a job with the railroad. In 1940, her family moved to Sidney, Nebraska, where she graduated from high school in 1945 and then met her future husband. On September 28, 1947, she was united in marriage to J. Robert "Bob" Siefer at the First Methodist Church in Sidney. They lived on a wheat farm west of Dalton, Nebraska, and we four children--John, Dan, Jane, and Laurie--soon arrived. In 1960, our family moved to Hastings, Nebraska where our father took a job with Hastings College. During the next six summers we moved back to the farm to tend the crops. Mother dearly loved farm life, particularly the wide-open, blue Nebraska sky and remained forever nostalgic about that time. We remember her preparing big noon dinners for harvesters, hanging clothes on the line, playing cards with the family, and listening to the radio. She especially liked the songs â€œThose Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summerâ€ and later, â€œSurfer Girlâ€. In 1966 our family moved to Storm Lake, where our dad began a long career at Buena Vista College. Over the years, Mom worked tirelessly as a volunteer in her church and community. She served as President of PEO, President of Presbyterian Women, an elder of Lakeside Presbyterian Church, and a long-time church choir member. She initiated and led the 4-H club The Storm Lake Senoritas and served many years as a Big Sister. She also worked as a volunteer greeter with Bob for special guests and trustees of both Hastings College and Buena Vista College. Our mother was special to us for so many reasons, but probably the biggest was her warm, cheerful, upbeat nature. She loved life and saw little reason to be anything but happy. Even when we chatted with her on the phone, we could â€œhearâ€ her smiling! She had a great interest in music and taught herself to play the piano, often playing for the simple joy of it or for a family sing-along. In her free time she and Dad traveled abroad several times and also made endless trips to their childrenâ€™s homes, always arriving with a container of her cookies in hand. Our mom was a tremendous cook and was especially famous for her pies and cinnamon rolls. She loved her family and was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She and our dad attended every graduation and wedding of each of their 12 grandchildren, as well as countless ball games, plays, and programs. Mom also enjoyed reading, playing bridge, watching the Hawkeyes and the Cornhuskers, and following politics. About 13 years ago, our parents moved to their present home, where mom became enthralled with her view of the lake. She loved watching the way it sparkled and moved, just as she had so many years before loved watching the golden fields of wheat ripple and wave in the sun. She also loved Dadâ€™s flower garden and having afternoon tea with her neighbors on the deck. But most of all, she loved our dad and the two were fortunate enough to be married for almost 66 years. A honeymoon picture of our mom shows her smiling in front of a lake where they happened to rent a cabin on the way home to western Nebraska from the Ozarks; ironically, this turned out to be Storm Lake! Those who cherish our motherâ€™s memory include her husband, Bob Siefer of Storm Lake; her children: John (Marianne) Siefer of Sioux Falls, S. D., Dan (Merrianne) Siefer of Storm Lake, Jane (Jim) May of Friendswood, TX, and Laurie (Steve) Sauerbry of Apple Valley, MN; her grandchildren Jeremy (Rory) Siefer of San Antonio, TX, Josh (Lauren) Siefer of Los Angeles, Shere (Matt) Krusemark Woodbury, MN, Dana Siefer of Storm Lake, Natalie (Jed) Overmann of Shoreview, MN , Emily (Matt) Boyd of Eagan, MN, Jessica Siefer of Mendota Heights, MN, Meredith (Rob) Wise of Friendswood, TX, James (Taryn) May of Los Angeles, Chelsea (Brad) Shelton of Chicago and Molly (Brent) Augustine of Minneapolis; and great grandchildren Zach, Gracie, Addie, Drew, Olivia, Nora, Robbie, Maryn, Ava, and Jack. Mary is also survived by her twin sister Marian Larsen of Denver; her brother Jack Wiedeburg of Liberty, MO; her sister-in-law, Betty Jean Van Dyke of Bellvue, WA, as well as many nieces and nephews. Mary is preceded in death by her beloved granddaughter Amanda May, sister Naomi Craig, and her parents. Memorials may be made to the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center Foundation for the cancer center or the Buena Vista Scholarship Fund.

Mary K. Siefer

March 20, 1927 - June 16, 2013