Mary Eileen Ellis

St. Charles, Mary Eileen Ellis, 91, of St. Charles died Friday February 10, 2012 at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester following a brief illness. A Funeral Mass for Mary will be 11AM Tuesday at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 1900 E 6th Street, St. Charles, with the Reverend Kurt Farrell officiating. Friends may call from 5-8 PM Monday at Hoff Funeral Service in St. Charles. They may also call one hour before services at the church on Tuesday. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery in rural St. Charles. Mary Eileen Moriarty was born July 21, 1920 in Quincy Township of Olmsted County to Patrick & Ethel (Uhl) Moriarty. After graduating from Aquinas High School in LaCrosse, WI she attended Hattie Boyd's Teacher's Training in St. Charles. She taught country school in District #1 and #17 (Cummingsville) in the Chatfield area for four years. On July 7, 1943 she married John 'Sylvester' Ellis at the St. Charles Catholic Church. They farmed in the Chatfield area until 1947 when they moved to the present farm near St. Charles. Mr. Ellis died December 31, 1996. In 2008 she moved into town. Besides helping on the farm, they took in foster children. As the family grew up, Mary started working outside the home. She did seasonal work at Libby's in Rochester, and later worked full time at Home Produce in St Charles and most recently the Whitewater Nursing Home. She was active in CCW, the Rosary Society and St. Francis Unit. She also delivered Meals on Wheels, and volunteered as a driver for SEMCAC. She enjoyed reading, crocheting, quilting and watching Jeopardy. Survivors include five daughters, Rose Berg of Zumbrota, Eileen (Al) Wilcoxen of Broomfield, CO, Carolyn Ellis of Concord, CA, Margaret of Rochester and Brenda Volkmann of Rochester; one son, Bernard (Sue) of St. Charles; ten grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren; two sisters, Helen (Harold) Bealka of White Bear Lake and Teresa Stokes of Chatfield; two brothers, James of St. Charles and John of Blaine. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, one grandson, one sister and one brother. Memorials are preferred to the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Building Fund or the St. Charles Foundation for Academic Excellence.Hoff Funeral & Cremation Service - St. Charles is assisting the family with arrangements. Please leave a message of sympathy, sign her online guestbook and view her video tribute when it becomes available at www.hofffuneral.com.
Tribute video can be found at: videos.lifetributes.com/282893