Mary Karen Everson

1950 - 2017

Mary Karen Everson obituary, 1950-2017, Round Rock, Texas

BORN

1950

DIED

2017

FUNERAL HOME

Ertel Funeral Home

42 N Market St

Cortez, Colorado

Mary Everson Obituary

Mary Karen (Eid) Everson went to be with our Lord in Heaven on Saturday, December 23, 2017 in Round Rock, Texas, near her family, after fighting a valiant 14 month battle with cancer of the bile ducts. Her journey took her to see some of the best doctors in the country for this disease at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and Dr. Heyl from Cortez. Her family is grateful for all they did to help fight this terrible disease.

Mary was born the 3rd of 6 children to George Arnold and Florence Margaret (Berge) Eid on December 7, 1950 in Whitehall, Wisconsin. She was raised on the family dairy farm in just outside of Pigeon Falls, with 2 brothers and 3 sisters. In her teen years, she would drive the tractor pulling the hay wagon for her father during haying operations. She never had a problem maintaining a healthy tan in the summer, sitting on the tractor in the hot sun. She attended grades 1 through 8 at the Pigeon Falls School. She was the only girl in her class for the 1st 4 years. To this day the boys claim they all loved her and that she was their favorite girl.

Mary rode the bus to Whitehall for high school, where, as a freshman, she met the future man in her life, Ron, in the high school band in 1964. There was something about that dark-haired, well-tanned (from days on the tractor seat), slender and friendly girl that attracted Ron from the start. Under the tutelage of the band director, Sheridan Johnson, Mary played the clarinet, and then moved to the contrabass clarinet where she shared the sheet music with Ron who played the tuba. Mary was also the Homecoming Queen during her senior year with her good friend, Roger Berg as King.

After graduating from high school in 1969, Mary worked in food service at Tri-County Memorial Hospital in Whitehall for a short time before enrolling in St. Johns School of Nursing LPN Program in Red Wing, Minnesota. After passing her State Board Exam and receiving her license, she landed a job as an LPN in the new-born nursery in the hospital in Menomonie, Wisconsin.

Mary and Ron were married in the Pigeon Falls Evangelical Lutheran Church on July 14, 1973. Her honeymoon included driving across hot, brown, SW Kansas in her 1971 Mercury Comet GT with no air conditioning, on route to Ron's construction job in Lamar, Colorado. Mary worked as an LPN at the Nursing Home in Lamar.

Ron's construction jobs required frequent relocations and first took them to Boulder in 1974 for about a year and then Denver for about 3 years. In Denver, she worked as an LPN in the newborn nursery at Saint Anthony's Hospital. The next move was to Pueblo in 1977 where their black cat, Nosey, came into the picture. He was always considered to be the number one son. The next move was to Sweetwater, Texas in 1978.

They moved to Cortez, Colorado in 1979, where Ron went to work for Nielsons, Inc. Mary began work as an LPN in the newborn nursery at Southwest Memorial Hospital, where she worked until her son, Christian Robert was born on May 27, 1981. At that time, she became a stay at home Mom. Chris was never far from his mother. A familiar site was Mary mowing the lawn while carrying Chris in a backpack carrier, asleep, or preparing dinner the same way. In 1990, Mary went to work as a Teacher's Aide at Kemper Elementary where Chris went to school. She continued at the school until she retired in 2016.

Mary's life was always about children. She was a wonderful mother to her son, worked in the newborn nursery taking care of babies and new moms, and then for many years taught reading with reading groups and reading interventions. She had a tremendous amount of patience and understanding and quite a few emotionally needy children found a soft heart in Mary and remembered her long after. Mary also played the piano for the Sunday School at Trinity Lutheran Church when Chris attended there.

Mary loved reading and music, and loved to dance (she also liked to lead her dance partner). Mary was also an amateur belly dancer. It started with a class at the Y in Boulder in 1974 and laid dormant until she found a local belly dance troop in Montezuma County after Chris had left home. She enjoyed dancing with the troop and the friends that she made. Her friends made special performance for Mary in her back yard on Shimmy Mob Day in 2017.

Skiing and hiking were always part of her life in Cortez. Even after Mary was diagnosed with cancer, she continued to visit national parks and hike as much as she could. Her last trip - to Bryce Canyon in September - was special. She never gave up, hiking one of the spectacular cliff-top trails for 1.5 miles, hiking to and stopping at every overlook to see it all.

Mary was extremely proud of her son, Chris, and the man that he has become. He married Terese Molina in Austin in 2008. Their son, Levi, was born in 2014, and became the focus of Mary's life. She had the Grandma's touch that could always quiet the newborn boy. Although she was disappointed that she wouldn't be around to dance at his wedding, she made the best of the time that she had with Levi.

Mary is survived by her siblings, Robert (Nancy) Eid, Janet (David) Estenson, Gilbert (Tammy) Eid, Margaret (Brian) Humphreys, and Elizabeth (David) Gerard, her husband, Ronald Everson, our son, Christian, his wife, Terese, and their son, Levi George.

Mary was preceded in death by her father and mother, George and Florence Eid. Services are being handled through Ertel Funeral Home.

Published by The Journal on Jan. 5, 2018.
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Memories and Condolences
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6 Entries

Wonderful woman who was always cheery and smiling. I was lucky to have met her. Most defiantly a reflection of Gods love.

carla weatherly

December 23, 2019

Mary godspeed. My thoughts are with Ron and your family. Loved always seeing you and the way your sweet positive energy I always felt in your company. Cortez is a smaller place.

Carla Weatherly

January 10, 2018

So sorry for your loss may the God who gives hope fill your hearts with peace and comfort you in this difficult time Roman 15:13

January 10, 2018

My Sincere Condolences To The Family.

January 8, 2018

I am a cousin of Mary's from Mn. It is a shame that as families spread out we tend to lose track of any personal connections and at times like this feel more like strangers. Our thoughts and prayers to you Ron and Chris at the loss of Mary. Diane [Berge] Christensen Isanti Mn

January 6, 2018

I don't know Mary. I just saw her photo and her smile.
I do not mean to intrude, but for some reason, her photo seemed to jump out, and it touched me.

From her picture, it immediately became clear that she was a good person, A happy and joyful person that could have been a friend. A person who changed things by her mere presence. Please accept my condolences.

As you continue to reflect on Marys life, please remember there is only one true God, and his name can be found at Psalms chapter 83, Verse 18. He is a Spirit; you cannot see him, but he sees you. He knows your pain and sorrow, He loves you, and he wants you to love him in return.

Darryl M

December 30, 2017

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Trinity Lutheran Church

Cortez, CO

Funeral services provided by:

Ertel Funeral Home

42 N Market St, Cortez, CO 81321

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