Alice 'Maureen' McMahon Hay

ALICE "MAUREEN" MCMAHON HAY

Fort Dodge

Alice "Maureen" McMahon Hay, 88, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died peacefully Thursday, Sept. 16, 2021, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, surrounded by her loving family.Rosary: 3:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, at Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home, Fort Dodge, immediately followed by a liturgy service. Visitation will be 4 to 6 p.m at Laufersweiler Funeral Home. Msgr. Kevin McCoy will preside at the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Fort Dodge, Iowa, with burial following at Corpus Christi Cemetery.

The "black-haired beauty from Barnum," Maureen is survived by Gene, her beloved husband of 69 years. She was treasured by her family: daughter Kathleen and son-in-law Tom Bednar, Hiawatha, and their children, Susan Bednar and her son John, Cedar Rapids; Thomas Bednar and Katherine Smith and their children, Clara and Samuel of Washington, D.C.; son Stephen and daughter-in-law Julie, Marion, and Julie's children, Sara and Greg Carson, Central City; Matt and Renae Thompson, Marion; and Lauren and Jeff Morris, Boca Raton, Florida. Steve and Julie's grandchildren are Claire, Logan and Hunter Carson, Scarlet and Ruby Thompson and Drew, Jeremy and Remy Morris; and daughter Mary Alice of Minneapolis, Minn., and her son, Niles King of Oro Valley, Ariz.

Maureen also is survived by her much-loved sister, Petronilla (Pate) Schuh, Leesburg, Fla.; and much-loved sister-in-law, Joan McMahon, Dunedin, Fla. Maureen was adored by her many nieces and nephews.

Maureen was the cherished daughter of Alice Loretta Hood McMahon and Mortimer "Mert" Francis McMahon of Barnum, Iowa. She was born Oct. 30, 1932, at Mercy Hospital, Fort Dodge, the first in her family born in a hospital. Her father sold a load of corn to pay the hospital bill so Maureen could join her family at home. She was proud to be 12th of 14 children, and she grew up on the McMahon family farm located near Barnum. Her older sister, Helen, was her teacher at the small country school located on a corner of their farm. Maureen graduated from Barnum High School in 1950, and was active on the girls' basketball team, cheerleading squad and as a class officer. After graduation, Maureen moved to a boarding house in Fort Dodge and was employed as a long-distance telephone operator at Central Telephone Co.

During high school, Maureen met Gene Hay, a junior college student, at a dance at the Laramar Ballroom in Fort Dodge. Maureen and Gene were married Nov. 24, 1951, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Barnum. Their nuptial Mass was presided by the Rev. Patrick Shanahan. At the wedding reception, Gene and his college friends serenaded the new bride with "My Wild Irish Rose."

Gene and Maureen began their married life in Columbia, S.C., where Gene served in the U.S. Army from April 1951 to April 1953. Maureen worked in a bookstore in Columbia. When Gene's military service was completed, the Hays returned to Fort Dodge with their infant daughter, Kathleen. A few years later, Maureen resumed working at Central Telephone Co. Gene worked in the Fort Dodge gypsum industry and was promoted to Brunswick, Ga., in 1973 and to Cuba, Mo., in 1977. In Georgia, Maureen worked at the Cloister Hotel on Sea Island and did catering and office cleaning during their time in Missouri. Maureen and Gene began their retirement life in Eustis, Fla., in 1996. In July 2016, they relocated to Cedar Rapids to be closer to their family.

Like her mother and sisters, Maureen was an extraordinary cook and gracious hostess. She loved to entertain and bring beauty to her home and gardens. Maureen was deeply devoted to her faith, her large family and her Irish Catholic heritage, and many dear friends across the country. She enjoyed traveling, especially her three trips to Ireland. In 2011, she attended the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin and was interviewed by Irish National Television. The following day, she met the mayor of Dublin and he exclaimed, "I saw you on the telly!"

Maureen was preceded in death by her infant children, Susan Maureen and Joseph Eugene; her siblings, Donald, Mary Anderson and husband Donald, Eugene and wife Jane, Helen Crilly and husband John, Catherine O'Neil and husband John, Anna Marie Best and husband Robert, James and wife Rita, Robert and wife Blanche, Hubert and wife Irma, Mortimer "Mert" Merle, Joan Smith and husband Richard, and brother-in-law Donald Schuh; nieces, Jean Anderson Riley, Sheila McMahon Shuttler and Elizabeth Crilly; nephews, John Thomas McMahon, Robert Anderson, Patrick O'Neil and Donald McMahon; and Gene's parents, Lyvern and Marie Trausch Hay, and his brother, James Hay and wife Joyce.

Maureen's memory is a blessing and comfort to her family, and we will carry her strength and love in our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, 315 18th Ave., Hiawatha, IA 52233 (www.mercycare.org).