1920
Mary
2008
Mary Evenson
October 13, 1920 — March 21, 2008
Mary Evenson, age 87, Perham, MN, formerly of Henning, MN, died Friday, March 21, 2008, at the Perham Memorial Nursing Home. Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday, March 25, 2008, beginning at 11:00 am at St. Henry's Catholic Church, Perham, with Father Joe Herzing officiating. Burial will follow in St. Lawrence Catholic Church Cemetery, rural Perham, MN. Visitation will be held Monday, March 24, at Schoeneberger Funeral Home, Perham, from 4:00 - 8:00 pm with a prayer service at 7:00 pm and one hour prior to the funeral at the funeral home.
Mary Theresa was born on October 13, 1920, in Montello, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Anton and Jessie (Steers) Fries, and was of English and German heritage. She was baptized at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello and confirmed in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Mary graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1938 and from the nurses' training program at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1942 where she received her degree as a Registered Nurse.
She joined the U.S. Army (Service Number N771292) in January of 1943. During World War II Mary trained at a military hospital in Chicago and boarded a ship in North Carolina crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans, first to Cape Town, South Africa, and then to Bombay, India. She then took a train across India to Calcutta and entered the jungles of Burma where she was stationed for almost two years as a war zone Operating Room Nurse. She worked in a field hospital with 18 nurses. With the rank of First Lieutenant, she was discharged in 1946.
After her discharge and throughout her career, Mary worked as a Registered Nurse in Rhinelander Wisconsin, Harbor View Hospital in Seattle, Washington, University of Minnesota Hospital, St. John's Hospital in Fargo, ND, St. Ansgar Hospital in Moorhead, MN, Trinity Hospital and Americana Nursing Home in Minot, ND, Memorial Hospital in Perham, MN, and finally the Henning Health Care Center in Henning MN, as Director of Nursing.
On December 27, 1947, she was married to Donald Evenson by her brother, Reverend Wilfred Fries, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Due to Don's employment with Fargo Paper Company, the couple lived in various places including Minneapolis, Fargo, Crookston, and Minot. In 1972 they purchased Pleasure Park Resort on Otter Tail Lake. Don passed away on November 20, 1973. Mary sold the resort in 1975. Several years later she moved to Henning where she continued to work at the Henning Health Care Center until her retirement.
Her hobbies included knitting, card playing, reading, and entertaining family and friends. She loved flea markets and rummage sales, always looking for that special bargain item that was just what one of her children or grandchildren needed. She enjoyed helping her children with projects in their homes like painting and refinishing furniture. She also traveled to many places with family and friends. She was a former member of St Edward's Catholic Church in Henning and also was a long time member of the American Legion Post in Henning. She especially enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.
Mary was recently awarded the Department of Veterans' Affairs Medallion for her service in World War II in a ceremony at the Memorial Nursing Home in Perham. Mary was very proud of her military service and her many years of helping people through the nursing profession. Two years ago she moved to the Perham Memorial Nursing Home and made many new friends among the staff and residents.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Don; son Mark; two sisters, Eileen Roesler and Kathryn Hutter; and two brothers, Reverend Wilfred Fries and Leo Fries.
She is survived by her four children, Kurt (Sue) of rural Battle Lake, MN, Donald (Diane) of Perham, MN, Mary Beth (Dave) Hawes of rural Ottertail, MN, and Richard (Barb) of Owatonna, MN; one daughter-in-law, Sandra (Terry) Hagen of Bemidji, MN, 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of people young and old who called her friend.
Mary Theresa was born on October 13, 1920, in Montello, Wisconsin. She was the daughter of Anton and Jessie (Steers) Fries, and was of English and German heritage. She was baptized at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Montello and confirmed in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Mary graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1938 and from the nurses' training program at Mercy Hospital in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 1942 where she received her degree as a Registered Nurse.
She joined the U.S. Army (Service Number N771292) in January of 1943. During World War II Mary trained at a military hospital in Chicago and boarded a ship in North Carolina crossing the Atlantic and Indian oceans, first to Cape Town, South Africa, and then to Bombay, India. She then took a train across India to Calcutta and entered the jungles of Burma where she was stationed for almost two years as a war zone Operating Room Nurse. She worked in a field hospital with 18 nurses. With the rank of First Lieutenant, she was discharged in 1946.
After her discharge and throughout her career, Mary worked as a Registered Nurse in Rhinelander Wisconsin, Harbor View Hospital in Seattle, Washington, University of Minnesota Hospital, St. John's Hospital in Fargo, ND, St. Ansgar Hospital in Moorhead, MN, Trinity Hospital and Americana Nursing Home in Minot, ND, Memorial Hospital in Perham, MN, and finally the Henning Health Care Center in Henning MN, as Director of Nursing.
On December 27, 1947, she was married to Donald Evenson by her brother, Reverend Wilfred Fries, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Due to Don's employment with Fargo Paper Company, the couple lived in various places including Minneapolis, Fargo, Crookston, and Minot. In 1972 they purchased Pleasure Park Resort on Otter Tail Lake. Don passed away on November 20, 1973. Mary sold the resort in 1975. Several years later she moved to Henning where she continued to work at the Henning Health Care Center until her retirement.
Her hobbies included knitting, card playing, reading, and entertaining family and friends. She loved flea markets and rummage sales, always looking for that special bargain item that was just what one of her children or grandchildren needed. She enjoyed helping her children with projects in their homes like painting and refinishing furniture. She also traveled to many places with family and friends. She was a former member of St Edward's Catholic Church in Henning and also was a long time member of the American Legion Post in Henning. She especially enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.
Mary was recently awarded the Department of Veterans' Affairs Medallion for her service in World War II in a ceremony at the Memorial Nursing Home in Perham. Mary was very proud of her military service and her many years of helping people through the nursing profession. Two years ago she moved to the Perham Memorial Nursing Home and made many new friends among the staff and residents.
Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband Don; son Mark; two sisters, Eileen Roesler and Kathryn Hutter; and two brothers, Reverend Wilfred Fries and Leo Fries.
She is survived by her four children, Kurt (Sue) of rural Battle Lake, MN, Donald (Diane) of Perham, MN, Mary Beth (Dave) Hawes of rural Ottertail, MN, and Richard (Barb) of Owatonna, MN; one daughter-in-law, Sandra (Terry) Hagen of Bemidji, MN, 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of people young and old who called her friend.
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