Mary E. Ross

Mary Elizabeth Ross, Welch, MN died March 23, 2013, in the company of her family at Methodist Hospital, Rochester, MN, after a lengthy battle with cancer. This exceptional woman, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and 57-year wife and partner was born on July 21, 1939 in Brookings, SD, the daughter of Alva and Altha Richardson. She was preceded in death by a son, Daniel and her father. Survivors include her husband, Ronald; mother, Altha Touzinsky, Placentia, CA; three sisters, Janet Tounzen; Orange, CA; Linda Hornback and Margaret Hansen, and a brother, Loren, all of Tucson, AZ; son, Steven Ross, Red Wing, MN; daughters, Rhonda (Tom) Bosworth, Shakopee, MN; Diana (Dean) Dalbotten, Minneapolis and Julie (Scott) Beckel, Rochester; 11 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; two dear dogs, Alfie and Charlie. Mary was born and raised in Brookings, SD where she attended Brookings High School. She and Ron lived in Bozeman, MT and later in Inver Grove Heights, MN. They moved to rural Welch, MN in 1974 and have lived there since. Mary was a strong supporter of equality for all people. In the 1970s, she ran for city council of Inver Grove Heights, MN and later was an active member of the Goodhue County Democratic Party. She worked as a corporate identification specialist for CENEX Cooperative and as an accountant, but later decided to pursue her love of medicine, receiving her R.N. license after graduating with honors from Inver Hills Community College in 1993. Mary worked nearly 20 years in the Neurology Department of United Hospital in St. Paul, MN. During those years she was especially proud of spending time with the families of those stricken with terminal brain diseases. Mary enjoyed travel and camping with Ron and her grandchildren and she loved to fish. Her last big fishing trip was enjoyed with Ron in Canada during the summer of 2012 on the Lake of the Woods. She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and was delighted in her great-grandchildren, welcoming two new babies into the family just weeks before her death. A memorial service, officiated by Rev. Megan Remtema,will be held at Caturia-Smidt Funeral Home, 201 Seventh Street East, in Hastings, MN on Sat., March 30 at 11 a.m. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.