Mary Frances Conwell

CONWELL, CARRIGG, MEKOTA, ALLGOOD, OBRIEN, SHANK

Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 1/23/2020 at 12:43:36

Mary Frances Conwell, 78, of Iowa City, passed away Monday, January 13, 2020 at Crestview Acres in Marion, Iowa from heart failure.

Visitation for family & friends will be held Sunday, January 19 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service in Iowa City.

Mass of Christian Burial will begin Monday, January 20 at 10:00 am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Iowa City. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery in Iowa City.
Memorials may be directed to The Mary F. Conwell Memorial Fund.

Born July 25, 1941 in Iowa City, the daughter of Dr. Raymond DDS and Marie (Carrigg) Conwell, Mary grew up in Iowa City. She attended St. Mary’s Grade School, Central Junior High, and Iowa City High School. She was employed by Goodwill Industries, the Johnson County Courthouse, and the Iowa City Senior Center.

Mary fondly remembers playing pool with her sister and brothers in the basement, with the winning prize a comic book. During summer vacations, her dad would rent a cabin in Wisconsin or Canada so they could go fishing. They also traveled to the Black Hills, Yellowstone Park, a dude ranch in Wyoming, and visited family in Chicago.

She was a longtime member of St. Mary’s Church and St. Mary’s Altar & Rosary Society. At the age of 38, she entered the Sacramentine Monastery in Conway, MI to become a nun, but ultimately decided this was not her calling. She was given a special faith in God and was devoted to it her entire life.

Her nieces in town were like her daughters. She loved to have her hair done at the salon by Beth. She lived in an apartment on Dodge St. and never drove, so Deb took her wherever she needed to go. While at Crestview, Katherine brought Mary her favorite treats: ice cream, Hershey bars, and M&M cookies.

Survivors include 2 brothers, John Conwell (Sue) of West Bend, WI and Joseph (Paula) Conwell of Chester, NJ; sister-in-law, Mary Jane Conwell of Riverside, IA.

Nieces and nephews are Beth Mekota (Jeff) of North Liberty, IA, Deb Allgood (Troy) of Wind Lake, WI, Katherine O’Brien (Michael) of Coralville, IA, Mark Conwell (Jen) of Marion, IA, Stephen Conwell of Heaven, Laura Conwell of Cedar Rapids, IA, Andy Conwell of Riverside, IA, and Sandy, Chrissy, Jenny, and Scott Conwell, all of Wisconsin.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Alice Conwell Shank, a brother, Dr. David Conwell DDS, and nephew Stephen Conwell.

A special thanks to the staff at Crestview, Essence of Life Hospice in Amana, and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion for their compassionate care of Mary.

Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
 

Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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