Mary Feyder

Mary Ellen Feyder

Mary Ellen Feyder, 84, joined her husband Chubby in heaven on June 9, 2016, after a brief battle with cancer. Her family was able to gather to say good bye to Mom, Grandma and GG at the family home on Big Sturgeon Lake, which she loved so much.  Mary Ellen lived life to the fullest.

Mary Ellen Hawn was born on May 11, 1932, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Harry and Kathryn Hawn, one of 8 children. She is survived by 3 siblings; Carole Walton, Donny (Heidi) Hawn, and Ruth (Richard) Kinney. She attended Cathedral High School in Sioux Falls, where she met and married Charles (Chubby) Feyder on May 3, 1954.  The young couple moved to Vermillion, SD, then North Dakota and Iowa, before a job opportunity in Hibbing gave them a chance to experience life on Minnesota’s Iron Range.  On the recommendation of a coworker, Chubby toured a lake home north of Hibbing on Big Sturgeon Lake and fell in love with it.  Sight unseen and with four children, a very pregnant Mary Ellen and Chubby moved to the lake that would provide a life time of happy memories for them and their growing family.

Mary Ellen was a wonderful mother to her seven children and taught them all how to love life and celebrate every day.  Her enthusiasm for music, dance, and the stage was evident in her many hobbies and activities.  She played the autoharp, ukulele, and piano, and gave all the kids the opportunity to learn and appreciate music.  For several years she and son Ted helped lead the music for the Side Lake Chapel services on Sundays during the summer.  She was a founding member of the Happy Tappers, and danced at nursing homes and parades across the range for 25 years. She enjoyed sharing her collection of vintage clothing and hosting style shows at various venues around the state. She also loved to bake, especially making caramel rolls with grandkids

Her life at the lake gave Mary Ellen the opportunity to volunteer and involve her children.  She was the den mother for the local Side Lake Cub Scouts, planted trees on hillsides to help reduce erosion, and picked up trash along the roadways.  The family also picked pine cones for the DNR, and helped pick cones for the many beautiful wreaths she made each fall.

Mary Ellen had many interests that filled her days and gave her great joy and satisfaction.  She collected, refinished, and sold antiques and enjoyed “shopping” for treasures at the dump.  A skilled seamstress, she designed unique appliqued sweatshirts and “Woody” shorts as part of her Rural Rags consignment business.

Mary Ellen is survived by her seven children:  Ted (Micky) Feyder of Lakeshore, and their sons Sam (Taryn) and Will (Sarah); Nancy Hollis (Terry Georges) of Maple Plain, and her daughter Katie (Bibi) Garcia; Tom (Cindy) Feyder of Marble, and their daughters Lindsey, Angela and Michelle; Julie (Bill) Pitcher of White Bear Lake, and their sons Michael and Matthew; Ann (Tim) Grozdanich of Hibbing, and their children Nicole (Charlie) Smith, Meghan (Tyler) Kimber, Michael Grozdanich; Cathy (Bruce Wirth) Wandmacher of Mahtomedi, and her children Kelsey and Charlie; and Carol (Del) Gregory of Mahtomedi, and their children Ryan and Elizabeth; 6 great-grandchildren, Dylan & Emily Smith, Lily and Samantha Kimber, Evie and Vincent Garcia, and a new great grand Feyder (Sam and Taryn) on the way.

A celebration of Mary Ellen’s life will be held at the Blessed Sacrament Side Lake Chapel on Tuesday June 14 at 11 am, with visitation starting at 10. The Fr. Nick Nelson will officiate.

Memorials may be sent to the Town of French Volunteer Fire Dept. Box 41, Side Lake, MN  55781 or Fairview Range Hospice, Hibbing, MN.

Special thanks to the staff at Guardian Angels, Dr Sue Rudberg, and to Fairview Range Hospice, especially nurse Bobbie Radaich, who all cared for mom so lovingly.