Mary Lou Ryan

Mary Lou Ryan passed away peacefully at home, a book at her fingertips, on August 17, 2013 after a long and meaningful life. She was born in Austin, Minnesota to Ernest and Louise Heimer on November 19, 1930, and graduated from St. Augustine High School. She earned a bachelors degree in elementary education at the University of Minnesota and worked for several years as an elementary school teacher in St. Paul, MN. She married James J. Ryan (III) of St. Paul in 1953, and was a loving wife to him for over 60 years, as well as a fiercely devoted mother to their six children, and a delighted grandmother of six.

Mary Lou had a passion for books, both as a reader and writer. From her high school years writing on the St. Augustine Shamrock to her recent writings exploring her past and her family history, she loved language, sharing her thoughts, and a good game of Scrabble. She spent many hours with her friends discussing books and sharing her writing with her writers group, the Well Composed Scribes. Her publications included Lefse in Our Life and A Valentine Diary (in: Writing Down the River II) and she won first place in the 2010 Spirited Writers Contest for her story Concerto for a Child.

Mary Lou greatly enjoyed swimming on a regular basis, was an accomplished pianist, loved to garden and studied the Norwegian language. Mary Lou was an active volunteer throughout her life. She was a Girl Scout leader, a hospice volunteer and a member of the League of Women Voters, where she served on the board and edited its newsletter for several years. She devoted herself to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-La Crosse) as a volunteer, co-editor of the newsletter, Board member, and President.

She is survived by her loving husband, Jim Ryan; her sons, Steve (Janet Murphy Ryan), Tom (Wendy Hellerstedt), and Mike; and her daughters, Terry Jastrow (Fred), Suzanne Ryan, and Ellen Ryan. She is also survived by her grandchildren Matt Palen; Brice, Croix and Caley Jastrow; Mackenzie Ryan, and Dakota Ryan, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister, Diane Lovdahl. She will be in our hearts forever and will be deeply missed.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, August 23, 2013 at 2:00 PM at the Roncalli Newman Center. Rev. James Kurzynski will officiate. Friends may call at the Schumacher-Kish Funeral & Cremation Service of La Crosse on Thursday from 5:30 9:00 PM, and at the church on Friday from 1:00 PM until the time of services. Memorials may be directed to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).