McDEVITT, Mary K. (1919-2008)
MCDEVITT
Posted By: Von Mings Stachon (email)
Date: 8/19/2010 at 19:41:52
February 28, 2008, Traer Star-Clipper
PERRY - Mary K. "Mickey" McDevitt, 88, of Perry and formerly of Traer, died Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, at the First Christian Church in Perry. Burial was at Violet Hill Cemetery.
Mary K. "Mickey" McDevitt was born Dec. 3, 1919 on her family's farm near Jamaica, IA to Harvey and Anna Belle (Stewart) Morgan. She was named Kathryn. Her four sisters, whose names all started with "M" wanted to add Mary, so she went by Mary K., but most of her life was called Mickey.
Her older sister, Mae, was her teacher when she started school at Dallas County Number 9, Maple Grove. Mickey graduated from Perry High School and went on to study at AIB in Des Moines, IA.
On May 20, 1944, she married Donald R. McDevitt in Neosho, MO, where he was stationed with the US Army and they were devoted to each other for almost 60 years.
Mickey held a number of jobs over the years in addition to raising her family. She drove bus for the North Tama County Community School District in Traer and worked in an office at the Tama County Court House. She gave many more hours volunteering to help others. In recent years she tutored elementary students.
Don and Mickey moved the family to Traer, IA when they became co-owners of the Traer Star-Clipper Corporation. While living there she was an active member of Alpha Club. The Star-Clipper partners acquired the Tama News-Herald. Dysart Reporter and the Tama County Shopper. When Don became publisher of the Tama paper, they moved to Tama, IA, where they made many more friends.
With retirement, they moved back to Perry to be closer to family. She resumed membership in the First Christian Church and served in a number of capacities, including making bags of homemade noodles for fund-raising events. She socialized regularly with her card club friends.
Throughout her life, Mickey enjoyed Pepsi, auctions, school events, traveling and sight-seeing, as well as visiting family and friends. She and Don were avid Dixieland jazz enthusiasts, attending many festivals throughout Iowa.
Mickey was preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son Kenneth, and sisters Mae Morgan, Muriel Elliott and Myrtle Hanysh.
She is survived by her children Dr. Thomas McDevitt and his wife Gretchen Gehr of Burke, VA; Kathryn Mesward and her husband Gary of Colorado Springs, CO; Joan Heitman and her husband Rich of Las Vegas, NV; Karen Kucera and her husband Michael of Des Moines, IA; and Annabel Baker and her husband Fred of Blounts Creek, NC; as well as her sister Melva Field of Baton Rouge, LA. She is also survived by her 15 grandchidren Kathleen and Anna McDevitt; Emma Boland, Rachel Pugia, Mary, Jonathan and Abigail Mesward; Brian and Brad Heitman; Aaron, Jared, Timothy, Caleb, Jacob and Anna Kucera; plus four great-grandchildren Taylor and Christian Pugia; and Alana and Taryn Boland.
Memorial contributions may be given to Mercy Hospice in Des Moines.
Tama Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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