Service Details
A memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 40 Ohio St., on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at 11:00a.m., with Rev. Jennifer Gleichauf and Rev. Sarah Walker Cleaveland officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00am until the time of the service. Her remains will be interred in Burr Oak, Iowa in 2020.
Memorial Suggestions
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial gifts to Covenant Church or Vision Forward Association
Mount Pleasant – Fiercely loving, loyal, generous and sassy, Mary Ann Manning passed away Dec. 7, 2019, in her home of 38 years. She was embraced by the love of her family. In the short weeks since her lung cancer diagnosis and punishing treatment, Mary was supported by her beloved children, Wendy and John, as she made the brave decision to enter hospice care. Her last days were filled with visits, tasty meals, quiet time with loved ones and a magical drive to see a holiday light show.
Born in La Crosse, Wis. on Dec. 15, 1944, Mary Moe was a spirited 18-year-old when she met Harry Manning, the love of her life. After a breathless courtship, they were married in a small family ceremony. After time in Ames, Iowa and Park Forest, Illinois, they settled in Racine, where they spent most of lives, except for the five years the family lived in the Netherlands for Harry’s work. Along with embracing the challenge of living in another country, Mary made lifelong friends, served on the board of her children’s school and developed a fondness for tulips, crocuses and daffodils — as was clear in the spring at her home in Racine.
A caring mother, she was also a devoted and proud grandmother to her two granddaughters, who particularly enjoyed their annual summer “grandma and grandpa camp.” Mary valued her friends highly and was committed to the community, including through her involvement at Covenant Church, the Girl Scouts and other volunteering — though she once said she didn’t do things to be remembered.
Quilting was her passion and a source of strong friendships. She was eager to share her work, including as wedding gifts, donations to the local Ronald McDonald House and banners at her church. She worked at Sew ’n Save and then started her own quilting business; she named it Perfect Stitch since, as she said, every quilt she worked on needed to be just right. In addition, she was game to fill the role of crew chief for Harry’s car racing.
Harry’s untimely death in 2013 was a heartbreaking blow, but Mary showed great strength and resilience as she built a new life for herself. Her home was warm and welcoming, decorated with pictures of loved ones and those colorful quilts.
Mary is survived by daughter, Wendy (Daniel Wiegmann) Manning, of Bowling Green, Ohio; son, John (Andrea) Steiner-Manning, of St. Paul, MN; granddaughters, Astrid and Iris Steiner-Manning; and other relatives.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Reimer and Wanda Moe; brother, David Moe; and sister, Andrea Thurman.
A memorial service will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 40 Ohio St., on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at 11:00a.m., with Rev. Jennifer Gleichauf and Rev. Sarah Walker Cleaveland officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00am until the time of the service. Her remains will be interred in Burr Oak, Iowa in 2020. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages memorial gifts to Covenant Church or Vision Forward Association.
The family is grateful for all the care and support that Mary received in recent years, in particular from friends who generously lent a hand and her health care providers. In the last year she appreciated the staff at Vision Forward who helped her manage her macular degeneration and asked her to speak at a recent conference.
Monica Longmore says
I am so very sorry for your loss. Your mom sounds like a wonderful person.
Joni Haarbauer says
Such a wonderful person . We looked forward to seeing her for her visits in the salon. She will be deeply missed.
Barbara Pavlik Riegelman says
I am so sorry for your loss, Wendy & John. Your mom was a great inspiration to me in my early parenting years. She was the most unselfish person I have known. I loved to watch her & your dad interact. What a great couple they were! You were so blessed to have her as a mom❤️ She & your dad are together again!
Bob and Pam Beckett. Blaine Mn. says
We are so sorry hearing about the loss of your mother. We lived across the street on 5th Avenue.
I loved having morning coffee with your mom. After we got the kids of to school. We thought of her often. Dad was making wine.
Bob and Pam Beckett. Blaine Mn. says
We are so sorry hearing about the loss of your mother. We lived across the street on 5th Avenue.
I loved having morning coffee with your mom. We would laugh so much.
Bob and Pam Beckett. Blaine Mn. says
We are so sorry about the loss of your mother. We lived across the street on 5th Avenue. I loved having morning coffee with your mom. We would laugh so much.
Pat Gerke says
Mary was a dear highschool friend. She had great supportive mom and dad. Her highschool friends from the class of 63 are saddened by her lose. We wish you comfort and peace as you miss her .many are thinking of your family.
AnneMiek Los-Eisenberger says
Dear Wendy and John and other close relatives,
It was quite a shock for me to read that Mary had passed. My sincere condolences.
I knew Mary and Harry from when met in 1971 in Racine. John and my son Dennis went to Kindergarten together..
After that we really got to know them when they lived in Bennebroek, The Netherlands , and even in the early 90-ties when they visited me here in Wassenaar, NL
I will miss her, but will think of her very fondly in the future.
I wish you all strength for the coming time. Mary was very blessed with her children!
Fondly, AnneMiek (Los) -Eisenberger
Dennis Los
Jane (Roszkowski) Held says
Wendy and John,
I am so sorry for your loss. Wishing you moments of peace and comfort as you recall all the great memories of such a wonderful woman.
I happened to be looking for my aunt’s obituary when I noticed your mom’s. Serendipitous.
Recognized her right away. I know it has been a very long time since high school, but wanted to pass on my sincere condolences. God Bless.
Eric Podlogar says
Wendy and John,
I just heard about your mother today and I wanted to say that I am very sorry for your loss. I cannot express how much she meant to me and my family, but I hope these words provide some level of comfort. As you know, your mother was especially close to my mother. For many years, I had the pleasure of watching the two of them form the strongest of bonds, and from this I learned what it means to be a true friend. To that end, your mother was selfless during the last days of my mother’s life and was very caring and always welcomed our visits as we struggled through those days. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to know what a person of high quality is like. I will miss her dearly.
Eric 1/2/2020