Volk, Mary Pauline

Mary Pauline Volk, 70, of Cascade, died Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2011, after a long struggle following several strokes, at 2:24 p.m. at Shady Rest Care Center in Cascade. Friends and relatives of Mary may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30, at Reiff Funeral Home in Cascade, where a wake service will be held at 2 p.m. Services for Mary will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Martin's Catholic Church in Cascade, with the Rev. William Reynolds officiating. Concelebrating will be the Rev. Douglas Loecke. Assisting deacon will be Marvin Recker. Burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery in Cascade.

Mary was born March 30, 1941, in Iowa City, Iowa, to William Hunt and Mary Luella (Smith) Reynolds. On June 29, 1963, she was united in marriage to Gerald Joseph Volk at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oxford. She was raised in Oxford, graduated from Oxford High School, attended St. Ambrose College-Division of Nursing in Davenport and received her RN degree in 1962. She lived and worked in Dubuque until she moved to Cascade in 1963. Mary returned to college in the early 1980s and graduated from the University of Dubuque with her BSN degree in 1983.

She was a 50-year member of Catholic Order of Foresters and a member of St. Mary and St. Matthias Parish(s) in Cascade, where she was involved in their Befriender ministry. She was a stay-at-home mom for several years and later worked as a nurse at Mercy Hospital, Dubuque, John McDonald Hospital, Monticello, Shady Rest Care Center, Cascade, Mercy Hospital, Dyersville, and the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Association (VNA). Before working at the VNA, she was also a counselor in the Adolescent Substance Abuse Unit at the Dyersville hospital. Mary was a devoted servant to the profession of nursing.

Mary enjoyed music, cooking, spending time with her family and grandchildren, watching the Hawkeyes, and traveling with Jerry on trips to the East Coast, Florida, Arizona, Minnesota and Mexico. She was a 4-H leader, enjoyed horses and gardening and was involved in parish nursing for a time when Father Bodensteiner was pastor, as well as volunteering as a nurse at the Dubuque County Horse and Pony Camp.

She was a proud and loyal Jones County Democrat. She was very helpful to her family in caring for her father, William H., as well as her in-laws, Peter and Viola, during the time of their declining health.

Surviving are her husband of 48 years, Gerald; five children, Mary Jennifer (Jenni) and Jared Hoefs of Park Rapids, Minn., Peter W. (Deanna) of Marion, Therese M. of West Des Moines, Margaret Ellen (Peg) of Iowa City and Joseph G. of Clarksville, Tenn.; three grandchildren; a sister, Nora (Phillip) Dvorak of Davenport; a brother, the Rev. William Reynolds of Newton; and a sister-in-law, Kate Reynolds of Livonia, Mich. She is also survived by sisters- and brothers-in-law, Joan (Loras) Kurt of Cedar Falls, Larry and Patty Volk and Dan and Susie Volk, both of Cascade, Nick and Carol Volk of Walford and Ray and Laura Volk of LaGrange, Ill.; as well as 27 nieces and nephews and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary; her beloved brother, John F. Reynolds; and brother-in-law, Paul Volk.

The family would like to thank the staff at Shady Rest Care Center for their wonderful care of Mary.

In lieu of flowers, donations and memorials can be made to Cascade EMS Services, the Shady Rest Care Center Auxiliary, Cascade, or a charity of your choice.

Online condolences may be left for the family at

Published Dec. 29, 2011, in The Gazette