Mary Kuecker

Mary Kuecker, 87 of Webster died on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at Strand-Kjorsvig Home in Roslyn. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, August 19, 2017 at Christ The King Catholic Church in Webster. Burial will be in St. Otto’s Cemetery in Webster. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Friday 5-7 P.M. ending with a 7 P.M. Rosary. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial directed to Strand-Kjorsvig Rest Home in Roslyn. Mary Magdalene Wika was born on April 24, 1930 to Joseph and Elizabeth (Boik) Wika at Peabody Memorial Hospital in Webster. The family lived in Grenville at the time. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Grenville and began grade school at the Catholic school there. When she was about ten years old the family moved to a farm northwest of Webster where she finished grade school in a country school near her home. She graduated from Webster High School in 1948. When she was twelve she started washing dishes at Knapp’s Café and was a waitress at Atwater’s Café during high school. On February 21, 1949 she was united in marriage to Edwin Kuecker, Jr. at Webster. After their marriage the couple made their home in Morton Township east of Webster. She worked at Power’s Produce, Nerger’s Department Store and the first years of Head Start. She then began working at Bethesda Home in the kitchen. In 1983 they moved into Webster and she later retired from Bethesda Home after twenty one years as a cook. She and Edwin moved to Strand-Kjorsvig Community Rest Home in Roslyn in early 2016. She was a women of devout faith and belonged to Christ The King Catholic Church where she was active in Altar Society in her younger days. She was very proud of her Polish heritage and enjoyed talking and singing in broken Polish. Mary also enjoyed talking Grenville history with people. She was a great cook and baker, cooking polish dishes and also was a great lefse maker, passing it down the generations and enjoyed cooking for family. She also enjoyed flower gardening, country music, dancing, watching Lawrence Welk and Myron Floren on television and was a great Farkle player. Mary never had a lesson but played piano and organ by ear. Mary passed away on Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at Roslyn, South Dakota at the age of 87 years, 3 months and 22 days. Survivors include her husband Edwin of Roslyn; one daughter, Joni (Roy) Schmig of Webster, SD; 4 sons, Ron Kuecker, Wayne (Mona) Kuecker and Ryan Kuecker all of Webster, SD and Gary (Leigh) Kuecker of Watertown, SD; one sister, Lorraine Erickson of Webster, SD; two brothers, Tony (Norma) Wika and Willie Wika both of Webster, SD; twelve grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, one son, Michael, a daughter-in-law, Lona Kuecker and three sisters, Esther, Della and Gladys.