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Mary Ellen O'Brien
MARY ELLEN O'BRIEN
Dubuque
Mary Ellen O'Brien, 89, of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away Thursday, July 30, 2020, at Luther Manor.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 3, at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Dubuque, with Father Jim Goerend officiating. Social distancing and masks will be required. Entombment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, at
the Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd., where a parish wake service will be held at 1 p.m.
Mary Ellen was born March 6, 1931, in Sand Spring, Iowa, the daughter of Hubert and Genevieve (McElmeel) Kroeger. She graduated high school in 1949 from St. John's in Independence, Iowa; she then attended Mount Mercy Junior College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1951 and graduated from Mount Mercy in 1972 with a degree in Elementary Education.
She married Stephen O'Brien on Aug. 1, 1953, at St. John's in Independence, Iowa, and he preceded her in death.
Mary Ellen worked for Dubuque Community Schools from 1973 to 1995 at Fulton and Eisenhower, she retired in 1995. She was a member of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.
She is survived by her four daughters, Barbara Cutkomp of Ainsworth, Iowa, Teresa (William) Brahm of Dubuque, Maureen (Robert) Leuenberger of Cedar Rapids and Leslie (William) Rhomberg of Cedar Falls; a son-in-law, Gary Williams of Cedar Rapids; nine grandchildren, Luke (Kate) Cutkomp, Neal (Carley) Cutkomp, Jacqueline (Stephen) Biver, Erica (Zachary) Huk, Reece (Amanda) Leuenberger, Shane Williams, Alexander, Joseph and Abigail Rhomberg; 10 great-grandchildren; and a sister-in-law, Ruth Kroeger.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen; a daughter, Mary Ann Williams; a son-in-law, Keith Cutkomp; and brothers, Bernard (Mae) Kroeger, Andrew (Emily) Kroeger, John Kroeger, Robert (Doris) Kroeger and Gerald Kroeger.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Luther Manor along with Hospice of Dubuque, especially Amy, for all the loving care they gave to our mother and grandmother.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd., Dubuque, IA 52003 .
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