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Mary Lewis
MARY ELIZABETH LEWIS
North Liberty
Mary Elizabeth Lewis, 94 3/4, of Madison, Wis., formerly of North Liberty, died at sunrise on March 9, 2022, after a brief illness. She was surrounded by her children and many grandchildren in the days before she died. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at at 10 a.m. May 28 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City. Burial will follow at Ridgewood Cemetery in North Liberty.
Mary was the widow of James Ray Lewis, with whom she shared a long and happy marriage of nearly 71 years, until Jim's death on June 15, 2018. Together, they raised three children, Brian (Janet) Lewis of Oxford, Iowa, Tamara (Patrick) Scerpella of Madison, Wis., and Gregory (Moria) Lewis of Oxford, Iowa. Mary was the beloved grandmother of 10 grandchildren including, Brian and Janet's daughters: Jennifer (Wellington) Concepcion, Samantha (Nathan) Boyd and Emily Lewis; Greg and Moria's children: Michael (Jessica) Lewis, Danielle Lewis and Mark (Hannah) Lewis; and Tammy and Pat's children: John, William, Colleen and Patrick Scerpella. Mary was great-grandmother to Brinley and Aubrey (Samantha and Nate's daughters), Greenley and Lorelei (Jennifer and Wally's daughters) and Banks (Mike and Jessica's son).
Mary was born in Burlington, Iowa, to Charles and Mary (Soethe) Stiefel on June 3, 1927, the youngest of seven siblings: Florence, Carl, Frances, Teresa, John and Mark Stiefel. Mary met Jim when they were 17, she sold popcorn and he was an usher at the local movie theatre. They married on July 26, 1947, after Jim returned from his service in the Navy at the end of World War II. They both worked their whole lives at Northwestern Bell Telephone Co., first in Burlington, then in Maquoketa, Vinton, Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Mary's family was the light of her life and she was renowned for her cookie baking and for the special way she celebrated every occasion. She is survived by all of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who loved her very much.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City.
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