Mary Lou Dailey

Dates

Obituary

Mary Lou Dailey, 85, of Mitchell, SD, died Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at Avera Brady Health and Rehab in Mitchell. Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 AM Friday, August 23, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at Graceland Cemetery in Mitchell. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.

A live stream of Mary Lou's Funeral Mass can be viewed at:  https://www.mitchellcatholic.org/whats-new/livestream

Mary Lou Joanne Dailey (Holtkamp) was born in Hampton, Iowa on March 1, 1939. She was the 7th of 10 children to Aloysious J. Holtkamp and Johanna Moherfeld Holtkamp. The Holtkamp family moved to what is now known as the Holtkamp Farms five miles north of Williams, Iowa in 1941.

After the passing of Mary Lou's father, Aloysious, her mother, Johanna, and the children took care of the farm. The boys tended to the crops, while the girls milked the cows and tended to the garden.

Mary Lou attended a one-room rural schoolhouse until it closed after 1st grade, after which she continued her education in Williams, Iowa. Despite being busy with chores, she enjoyed playing basketball and graduated in 1956. Subsequently, she graduated from the Mercy School of Nursing in Dubuque, Iowa in 1959 and then moved to Minneapolis for her first job as a registered nurse at the VA hospital. It was during this time she met her future husband, Donald Michael Dailey, who was working at the VA while attending dental school at the University of Minnesota.

In 1962, Mary Lou and her best friend, Pearl, moved to Denver, Colorado for a few years before returning to Minneapolis. She continued to stay in contact with Don and eventually married him at the Catholic Cathedral in Rapid City, South Dakota on January 3, 1967. Shortly after, they moved to Tripp, South Dakota before settling in Mitchell in 1972.

Mary Lou and Don had three children: Anne Dailey (Pat Feterl), Doug (Jen) Dailey, and Matt (Darci) Dailey; and six grandchildren: Jack (Stephanie), Maggie, Max, Kate, Tate, and Mick.

Mary Lou was passionate about gardening and loved tending to her flowers and garden. When she wasn’t gardening or cooking, she cherished spending time with her grandchildren. She was a proud farm girl who was always on the go, and even in her later years, she could still be found sweeping her driveway in the rain.

Mary Lou is survived by her children, six grandchildren, and three siblings: Laverna Larson, Dan Holtkamp, and Larry Holtkamp. She was preceded in death by her husband, Don, her parents, and six siblings.

Memorials will be directed to Avera Hospice.

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