Mary Leona Mahoney, 92, passed away on April 25th 2020 at "A Touch of Home" Assisted Living in Round Rock, Texas. Mary was born in Rulison, Colorado February 16th, 1928.
Mary graduated from High School in Montrose, Colorado in 1945. She was united in marriage to Joseph Eugene Mahoney in Aztec, New Mexico on July 23rd, 1947. Mary and Joe did a lot of traveling the first two years of their marriage. They came back to Winner, South Dakota to help with Joe's parent's farm (George and Augusta Mahoney) where they had homesteaded in Ideal. Soon after helping his parents, Joe started the Mahoney Auto Salvage business, just West of Winner. They resided there until moving to Greenwood, Nebraska in 1968. While in Nebraska, Mary took many art classes at the University Of Nebraska at Lincoln. In her spare time, she did volunteer work at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Mary loved art passionately, and created hundreds of paintings, murals, and pieces in several mediums throughout her life. She also enjoyed sewing, playing the piano, crocheting, gardening and reading to her children.
Mary dedicated much of her time to various churches as well as the Women's Circle in Winner. She attended the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Burke, South Dakota where she often taught sabbath lessons, played piano and helped with Vacation Bible School. She spent a few summers as a Camp Counselor, in Brainard, Minnesota, leading in arts, crafts and various youth activities.
Mary was a wonderful mother. Her home was the place where the friends of her children hung out. She was "one of them," providing cookies, snacks and hugs. The love extended to stray dogs, cats, horses and goats as well.
Mary and Joe moved to Superior, Arizona in 1985. Mary continued to paint, and created murals in the area. Joe passed away in 1991. In 2005, Mary located to Owasso, Oklahoma to live with her son, Mark, where she made many friends and enjoyed the fellowship at the local Seventh Day Adventist Church, and Senior Center. When her son, Mark was transferred to Houston in 2010, Mary moved to Austin, Texas so that she could be closer to her children and grandchildren.
Mary is survived by her children, Linda Leigh Lang (Keith Henig, Austin, Texas) and Mark James Mahoney (Houston, Tx.), two grandchildren, Jeffrey Dale Lang (Austin, Texas), and Amy Michelle Hine (Austin, Texas), and her younger brother, Robert Lyle Sanders and his wife, Letha (Scottsdale, Arizona).
Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Ross Franklin Sanders, her mother, Ethyl Elizabeth (Hawkins) Sanders, her husband, Joseph Eugene Mahoney, three brothers; Edwin Ross Sanders, Carl Dean Sanders and Kenneth Wayne Sanders, her two sisters; Grace Louise Jennerjohn and Alma Cleone Heckenlively, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Mary was transported to Globe, Arizona where she rests beside her husband.
A memorial service is planned in the near future to celebrate Mary's life.