Mary (Ries) Twomey

Mary Anita (Ries) Twomey, age 88, of Golden Valley, Deerwood, and Savage MN, gracefully passed to the Lord on October 30, 2024. She will be lovingly remembered and missed by many.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held in Mary's honor on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 2:00 PM with a Time of Gathering prior from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM, all at St. Michael Catholic Church, 16400 Duluth Ave. SE, Prior Lake. Mary will be laid to rest at Credit River Catholic Cemetery following the Mass. A continued reception will follow from 4-6PM at PLate on Main, 16323 Main Ave SE, Prior Lake.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls https://www.fslf.org/DonateOnline1 or https://www.donations.sharingandcaringhands.org

Mary was born on May 11, 1936, the oldest daughter of nine children by George and Inger (Lundin) Ries. She graduated from Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls nurses’ training in 1957, then became an OB nurse, working overnight shifts in the nursery. While attending school, she met her husband David W. Twomey of St. Cloud, and they married on July 12, 1958.

Mary and Dave were blessed with seven children, 16 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. She was a natural caretaker, and made mothering, cooking, laundering, gardening, sewing, entertaining, shuttling, shopping, baking, supporting, cleaning, and hosting appear easy.

She was pragmatic, hard-working, and courageous. She could orchestrate a household of nine getting packed into a van and Hi-Lo camper for two weeks of camping; routinely entertain with large dinner parties, manage and chauffeur to the orthodontist, sports, music lessons for seven children, and host regular gatherings at ‘the cabin’. She loved music, fostering a cacophony of instruments throughout the house, and led sing-alongs with her children and grandchildren. 

She developed many talents. She learned to play the piano in her 20’s, the organ in her 30’s, and regularly volunteered in the Catholic music ministry at her local churches for over 30 years. Mary reupholstered and refinished furniture, understood money markets and investing, and adopted a regular yoga practice decades before it became popular. She loved playing Bridge and Scrabble.

At 50 years, Mary attended nurses’ refresher training to update her license, and then worked in the operating room of the Minneapolis Veterans hospital as a surgical technician for several years. She and Dave enjoyed many years in retirement together, wintering in Tucson AZ, and summering at Bay Lake. 

She is survived by her loving husband of 66 years, David; children, Renee (Terry) Schoonover, David (Ada Liu) Twomey, Margaret (Tom) Green, Colleen (Mike) Russell, Daniel (Jessica) Twomey, Janet (Jim) Carsten, Jean Twomey (Ken Siegford); grandchildren, Jeff, Luke, Kate, Shaun, Sara, Rachel, Lauren, Andrew, Shanna, Stephanie, Julia, Brady, Madelyn, Quinn, Emmett and Ivan; great grandchildren, Charlie, William, Evan, James Patrick; siblings, George (Clareen) Ries, Karen (Jerry) Ciptak, Virginia (Jay) McCormick; and many other loving relatives and friends

She is preceded in death by her parents, George and Inger Karin Ries; siblings Gene, Tony, Peter, Evelyn, Allen.