Visitation:  One hour prior to the service

Funeral:  Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 11:00am at Turner Jenness Family Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. 

Burial:  Lakeview Cemetery

Mary B. Rees was born December 18, 1920 in Petersburg, Minnesota at the family farm, the daughter of Raymond and Elsie Russell.  She attended grade school in Dunnell, MN and high school in Milford and Spirit Lake.

Mary was united in marriage to John T. Rees on August 5, 1939 and to this union four children were born, Jack, Dick, Nancy and Linda.  While John served in the air force, they lived on various bases before moving to the lake home on Big Spirit in 1959.

John and Mary were divorced in the mid 60’s and Mary never remarried.  She devoted her time and love to her children, grand kids and great-grand kids.  She had cooked at the Red Rooster in Arnolds Park, Milford Café, Eddie’s Coffee Shop in The Tangney Hotel in Spencer and Spencer Golf and Country Club for years.  Mary and John owned and operated The Big Spirit Supper Club on Big Spirit next to the pump house in the early 60’s.  She also cooked at Hilltop Nursing Home for a short time before retiring.  (The food was fantastic then, all will agree!)

Most of the older generation of the lakes area has enjoyed Mary’s delicious home cooking sometime in their life.  Be it at a restaurant, church supper or at her home.  Her children will never forget all of the sugar cookies, cream puffs, pies and the best Thanksgiving meals with 10-15 pumpkin pies.

She attended the Presbyterian Church and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Twilight Chapter of Spirit Lake as well as the PTA at Spirit Lake Schools in the late 50’s.  She enjoyed sewing throughout the years, making most of the children’s clothes, prom dresses and wedding dresses.

Mary was survived by her daughter, Linda Hill; granddaughter, Mindi Rees; great-granddaughters, Katie and Malori; daughter, Nancy Rees, granddaughter, Jennifer Anderson, grandson, Jim O’Connor; great-grandson, Colin O’Connor; son, Dick Rees and wife, Merleen; granddaughter, Kellie Werner; great-granddaughter, Emily; grandson, Clint Rees and his wife, Tish; great-grandson, Tyler; son, Jack Rees and his wife, Jamie; brother, Don Russell and his wife, Deloris; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Elsie; sisters, Daisy Hillman and husband, Walt, Winnie McKinney and husband, Elmer and Maxine Klein and husband, Loren; brothers, Cloyd Russell and wife Florence, Wayne Russell and wife, Margie and Roy Russell.