Mary Wiechmann

Mary A. “Mae” Wiechmann age 93, of Melrose, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Friday, May 17, 2019 at her home in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 22 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Meire Grove with Rev. Marvin Enneking officiating. Interment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Melrose following the Mass.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Christian Women and Schanhaar-Otte VFW Auxiliary will pray a rosary at 5:30 p.m. with parish prayers immediately following the rosary Tuesday evening at the funeral home.

Mary Agnes Niehaus was born April 30, 1926 at home on the family farm to Joseph and Agnes (Wessel) Niehaus. She attended the country school close to home and then graduated from Saint Francis High School in Little Falls, Minnesota. She worked at Kraft and then at the Produce in Melrose as a bookkeeper. On August 18, 1959, she was united in marriage to Lawrence “Larry” Wiechmann at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose.  They farmed and raised four children on the Wiechmann family farm northeast of Melrose. She loved to garden and grew and canned all the vegetables for the whole year. She was also known for her climbing rose bushes and loved gladiolas and begonias. She was a good seamstress and sewed much of the family’s clothes.

After retiring from farming in 1990, Mae and Larry built a home in Melrose. She joined a couple of card clubs which she enjoyed very much, and continued gardening and canning. Just a week ago, she was talking about getting the garden tilled so she could plant her pickles.

Mae enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, gardening, canning (especially pickles!), cards, going to the Niehaus family cabin on Big Birch Lake, and spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.

Mae was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose, Christian Women, Mission Society, and Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary.

Survivors include her husband, Larry Wiechmann of Melrose; son, Tom (Joanne) Wiechmann of Melrose; daughters, Mary Jo Katz of Bemidji and Karen (Greg) Hoppe of Big Lake, Alaska; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild due any time; brother, Tony (Carol) Niehaus of Melrose; and sister-in-law, Rita Niehaus of Melrose.

Mae was preceded in death by her parents; infant son, Gary Wiechmann; son, John Wiechmann; brothers and sisters, Joseph T. (Lucine) Niehaus, Sr. Mary Inez Niehaus, Theodore (Leone) Niehaus, Hildie (Earl) Joyer; Julitta Niehaus, Sr. Venard Niehaus, Sr. Helen Niehaus, Albert Niehaus, Edward Niehaus, and Alquin Niehaus.

Serving as casket bearers will be Adam, Aaron, and Evan Wiechmann, and Samuel, Jared, and Elijah Katz. Cross bearer will be Kasey Jenc and scripture bearer will be Jan Herke. Readers will be Jeanne Howe and Julie Comfort. Gift bearers will be Butch Niehaus and Margo Niehaus.