Mary Mardian

Mary Mardian died on Thursday, January 9, 2014, at Avera Mother Joseph Manor in Aberdeen, following a brief illness, at the age of 92.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, January 13, 2014, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 409 2nd Avenue NE, Aberdeen, with Father J. Joseph Holzhauser, Celebrant. Burial follows at Sunset Memorial Gardens, Aberdeen.

Schriver's Memorial Mortuary & Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is handling arrangements.

Visitation will be 3-5 p.m., Sunday, at the mortuary, with a Liturgical Wake Service at 5:00 p.m. followed by Catholic Daughters of the Americas Rosary. Visitation continues one hour before Mass at church.

The family prefers memorials to The Roncalli Foundation, 1400 North Dakota Street, Aberdeen, SD 57401.

Mary (Geier) Mardian was born on August 20, 1921, to Frank and Margaretha (Heilman) Geier of Bowdle, SD. She was raised and attended school in Medina Township north of Bowdle, working on the family farm with her parents until 1945. Mary met Paul Mardian from Roscoe, SD when he returned from serving in the U.S. Army during World War II and they were married on January 7, 1946. They lived in Roscoe for 12 years before moving to Aberdeen in 1958, building their home and raising seven children while operating Paul Mardian Company.

Mary was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, St. Mary's Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, and she also participated in Perpetual Adoration at Avera St. Luke's Hospital Chapel for several years. Mary's strong faith was an important part of her life.

Mary enjoyed crocheting, ceramics, baking bread and making delicious German dishes for her family, but most of all she loved the large vegetable garden that she planted every year until the age of 90. It gave her so much joy to share her canned tomato juice, pickles, jam, and other garden produce with her children and grandchildren. Her family will miss her labor of love from her garden harvest.

Mary is survived by her seven children: Carlyle Mardian of Aberdeen, Paulette (Robert) Wagner of Mansfield, SD, Joyce (Raymond) Gruby of Bismarck, ND, Wayne (Marlys) Mardian, of Aberdeen, Elaine (Michael) Morrisey of Birmingham, AL, Daniel (Lynda) Mardian of Mina, SD, and JoAnn Mardian of Denver, CO; along with sixteen grandchildren and many great-grandchildren. Also surviving Mary are three of her sisters: Betty Mitzel of Bowdle, SD, Clara Meier of Sacramento, CA, and Maggie Fritz of Aberdeen.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and one sister, Barbara Haberer.