Funeral services for F. Mary Mountain will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 2 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Estherville with Pastor Lori Westfall officiating. There will be a public visitation from 1-2 p.m. prior to the service at the church. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.henryolsonfuneral.com.
Florence ‘Mary’ Mountain was born to John R. and Florence E. (Stevens) Weir on February 17, 1934, in Estherville, Iowa. Mary passed away on May 2, 2025 at the Good Samaritan Society in Estherville, Iowa at the age of 91 years.
She received her education at Estherville Schools where she had fond memories being active in music and school plays. After graduation from Estherville High School in 1951, she worked for the Davison Packing Plant and the local telephone company in Estherville.
Mary married Richard R. Ringel on March 13, 1952 in Jackson, Minnesota. They made their home in Estherville, Iowa. She was a stay at home mom while her four girls were young.
Mary was active in circle and many other activities at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Estherville, Iowa. She was the choir director for the adults as well as the Sunday School Program.
She worked at the Estherville Daily News as the proofreader and social editor until the summer of 1976 when the family moved to Mitchell, South Dakota. Mary and Richard’s marriage was later dissolved.
Mary worked at the Queen of Peace that is now known as Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, in the admitting department for over 20 years.
She married James C. Mountain on June 12, 1999, in Mitchell, South Dakota. She and James were avid sports fans and volunteered delivering Meals-On-Wheels and loved to travel.
After James passed away in 2014, Mary kept actively volunteering at the hospital admitting patients for Out Reach doctors, from Sioux Falls, reading to the students at Gerdy Bell Elementary, delivering Meals-On-Wheels, volunteering to answer the phone and Love Feast at the Downtown Mitchell First United Methodist Church, and cleaning tables at Dairy Queen for proceeds going to the Love Feast.
Mary volunteered wherever she could as she enjoyed helping others as well as socializing.
In the fall of 2019, Mary moved back to Estherville, Iowa, residing at the Good Samaritan Society. She was very active attending devotions, riding electric bikes around the lake, playing Bingo, playing horse races, and numerous other games. If there was an activity, she was there to participate.
Mary enjoyed gardening, canning, baking bread, and donuts. She loved to take pictures of her family and sometimes she would want just one more picture and the grandkids would give her a hard time. Especially when she misplaced her camera. (This story makes her family laugh.) She was a Girl Scout Leader for all four of her girls.
Mary was on a bowling league for many years. Every time she had an opportunity to bowl with her children, grandchildren and even her great-grandchildren, she showed them how to bowl.
Mary was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Estherville, Iowa.
Left to cherish Mary’s memory are her daughters, Sherry (Doug) Nelson, Estherville, Iowa, Tamye Ringel, Overland Park, Kansas, Kande (Rick) Petersen, Spencer, Iowa, and Michelle (Steve) Rozendaal, Spirit Lake, Iowa. Also left to cherish her memory are her grandchildren, Chad, David, Zach, Adam, Jamie, Sean, Kimberly, and Jeremy; her great-grandchildren, Dane, Reagan, Greysen, Jaylia, Cannon, Caeden, Kora, Valerie, Cooper, Henry, and Addison; as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters, Lillian (Bill) Howard and Beverly (Bob) Elliot, infant grandson, Bryan Nelson, son of Sherry and Doug.
Other special people to cherish her memories are, Scott (Karla) Suelflow, Josh (Heather), Avery, Connor, Abby, Knox, Jared; Larry (Karen) Mountain, Jeremy, Kristy (Dustin Smith), Chase, Taylor, Rocky (Erica); Theresa, Angela, Mike; Short Larson, Margaret Smith and all of her many friends at the Downtown Mitchell First UMC.
Mary will be greatly missed by her family and friends and all who knew and loved her.
Memorials may be left in Mary’s memory to the Good Samaritan Society and Redeemer Lutheran Church, both in Estherville, Iowa.
