Mary Engrav

Mary F. Engrav, 55, of Waukon, IA, died Monday, February 5, 2018, from injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while traveling with her sisters Joan Lyons and Barb Winters-Kelly near Hopkinsville, KY. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, February 13th, at 11:00 AM at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, IA, with Fr. Mark Osterhaus and Rev. Msgr. Ed Lechtenberg officiating. Burial will be at St. Mary's Lycurgus Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM Monday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, where there will be a 3:30 PM scripture service. Martin Funeral Home in Waukon is handling arrangements.

Mary Francis Engrav was born August 10, 1962, at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, IA, the daughter of Donald and Janette (Monroe) Ryder. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon and attended St. Patrick School through the sixth grade. After graduating from Waukon High School, Mary received her associate degree in early childhood development from NICC in Calmar. On April 16, 1983, Mary married Steve Engrav at St. Patrick Catholic Church. She ran an in-home daycare in addition to working at Sunflower Child Care in Decorah, IA. She then went to work for Good Samaritan Center in Waukon, first as the head cook then currently as a laundry aide for close to 25 years.

With her sister and brother-in-law Charlene and Jim Baxter, Mary established BE Catered, which has been in business for 10 years. There she got to use her love for cooking and baking for all sorts of events and especially took pride in catering the annual Christmas Tree Fantasy in Waukon. Mary was always willing to donate time to everyone in need and volunteered to make soup for St. Patrick's annual soup supper and cook for the Allamakee County Fair.

Mary loved spending time with friends and family, particularly her grandkids. To celebrate beating breast cancer, Mary and some family attended a Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney concert in the Twin Cities. She enjoyed hosting parties and was big into Christmas and St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Never one to shy away from fun, Mary would frequently dance with her sister Joan and it was a sure bet that there would be a dance off at any wedding. She enjoyed being in the sun, whether it was out boating on the river, swimming, or traveling to Hawaii and the Bahamas to be at the ocean. Mary also enjoyed shopping, Iowa Hawkeye football, watching the Hallmark channel, and gleaning décor tips from HGTV. She was a member St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon.

She is survived by her husband Steve Engrav of Waukon; her three children: Nic (Kim) Engrav of Waukon, Ryan (Brittni) Engrav of Iowa City, IA, and Jeremy (Betsy) Engrav of Waukon; grandchildren: Dominic, Deven, Evelynn, Edward, Brayden, Brecken, Brantley, and Briar; her mother Janette Ryder Blong of Waukon; siblings: Barb (Wayne) Winters-Kelly, Patty (Steve) Scholtes, Cathy (Keith) Dahlstrom, Charlene (Jim) Baxter, Bill Ryder, Peggy (Curt) Reiser, Tom Ryder, and Donna (Rich) Kelly; brother-in-law Danny Lyons; an aunt Sr. Mary Bosco Ryder; father- and mother-in-law Walter and Betty Engrav; and several nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her father Donald Ryder; sister Joan Lyons; aunt Betty Ryder; stepfather Gerald Blong; brother-in-law Dennis Winters; and sister-in-law Patty Thorton.

Honorary casketbearers are Charlene and Jim Baxter, Barb and Wayne Winters-Kelly, Bill and Tom Ryder, her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, Connie Regan, Connie Rocksvold, Sue Gavin, and Kay Deeny. Casketbearers are Dale Meyer, Mike Lorimer, Brody Baxter, Ron and Mike Adam, and Heath Winters.