Mary Catherine (Evers) Keeley

 Mary Catherine (Evers) Keeley, age 83, of Wabasha, died Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at St. Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Wabasha. She was born March 15, 1933 in Wabasha, one of twelve children born to Leo and Catherine (Tushaus) Evers. She graduated from St. Felix High School in Wabasha and then attended Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis. She married James Keeley June 6, 1959 at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha. The family lived in Janesville, MN after their marriage. Mary was a homemaker and she worked 22 years at Cahill Pharmacy in Janesville. After her husband died in 1997 she moved back to Wabasha. She was employed part time at the Blossom Shop, the Wabasha County Herald newspaper and the Ben Franklin store.
 Mary was a member of St. Felix Catholic Church, its Council of Catholic Women and the National Catholic Order of Women Foresters. She was also a member of the Wabasha Senior Citizens organization, the Pepin Hill Farmers Club, the Pepin Hill Women’s Club and the Burkhardt-Roemer VFW Post #4086 Auxiliary. She was also a member of St. Elizabeth’s Auxiliary, a Eucharistic minister at St. Elizabeth’s Health Care Center and for 13 years a volunteer at the local food shelf. She enjoyed knitting crocheting and sewing. Between her time spent at St. Ann’s parish in Janesville and St. Felix parish in Wabasha she made over 1000 patchwork quilt tops.
 She is survived by two sons and daughter-in-law, David Keeley, Birmingham, AL, John and Jodi Keeley, North St. Paul, MN; two grandchildren, Natalie (Jack) Negus and Brendan Keeley; sisters and brothers-in-law, Viola Miller, Plainview, MN, Bernita and Calvin McQuiston, Lake City, MN, Judy and Richard Herbst, Lake City, MN, Cecelia and Martin Wagner, Wabasha, MN, Eleanor and Jay Taverna, Nelson, WI; brothers and sisters-in-law, Herman Evers, Clarence and Mary Evers, Ralph “Pete” Evers, all of Wabasha, MN, Donald and Kathy Evers, Pepin, WI, Elmer “Ike” and Mary Evers, Lake City, MN; sister-in-law, Sue Evers, Minnesota City, MN; aunts, Myrtle Hawkins, Wabasha, MN, Kathleen Evers, Rochester, MN, Evelyn Evers, Grand Forks, ND; and from James’ family, sister-in-law, Mary (Ron) Branson, Monterey, CA; brothers-in-law, Phil (Shirley) Keeley, Waseca, MN, Joe (Ruth) Keeley, St. Peter, MN; and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Keeley, parents, Leo and Catherine Evers, brother, Albert Evers, sister-in-law, Betty Evers, Sherry Evers, brother-in-law, Francis Miller and from James’ family, parents, Mary and Joe Keeley, brothers and sister-in-law, Dennis Keeley, and Eugene and Betty Keeley, sisters and brother-in-law, Dorothy Keeley and Noreen and Richard Bartelt.
 A funeral Mass was offered on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 10:30am at St. Felix Catholic Church in Wabasha with the Reverend Monsignor Robert Meyer officiating. Interment was in St. Ann’s Cemetery in Janesville, MN at 3pm, Saturday. Casket bearers were Aaron Evers, Jason Evers, Steve Evers, Scott Evers, Paul Herbst and Dan Wagner. Family and friends called at the Abbott Funeral Home in Wabasha on Friday from 4-8pm at which time a prayer service will be held. They also called at the church on Saturday one hour before the Mass. Memorials are preferred to St. Elizabeth’s Community Development Foundation, 1200 5th Grant Blvd. W., Wabasha, MN 55981. The Abbott Funeral Home of Wabasha was in charge of arrangements. www.abbottfh.com