Obituary of Mary F. Ryan

Mary Ryan, a resident of Emerson Point in Iowa City passed away March 10, 2014, at Windmill Manor Skilled Nursing Facility. A celebration of her life will be held in Kansas at a later date. Mary Frances Nicolay was born in Scranton, Kansas the fifth child out of seven of Lloyd and Bertha Nicolay on October 10th, 1919. She graduated from Lyndon High School in Lyndon Kansas in 1937. She married Stephen Philip Ryan in 1940 and lived for many years with her husband and four children in Azusa, California. When she and her husband retired they moved to Bullhead City, Arizona and she owned and operated a drapery store with her sister. After her husband's death she moved to Solon, Iowa to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Mary Ann and Bob Schneider. In 2010 she moved to Emerson Point, in Iowa City where the staff was so wonderful and caring. Mary was a wonderful mother, great cook and had the patience of a saint. She was known for her radiant smile and famous for her cookies that she always had on hand. She not only taught her children the Golden Rule, but lived it herself and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was a wonderful seamstress and sewing was a major part of her life. She will be missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, two sisters, her husband Philip Ryan, two sons, Steve and Tom Ryan, granddaughter, Suzi Ryan, grandson, Tom Ryan, and daughter-in-law Nancy Ryan. She is survived by her son, Dan Ryan of Ozawkie, Kansas, daughter, Mary Ann Schneider (Bob) of Solon, Iowa, brother Charles Nicolay (Karen) of Topeka, Kansas, two daughter-in-laws, nine grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.