Mary Louise Byington

    Mary Louise Byington 79, of 8 South 18th Street, died Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit, Mason City, after a courageous three-year battle with ovarian cancer.
    A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Sept. 30, at the Clear Lake United Methodist Church, 508 2nd Ave. North, with the Rev. Diana Hoover officiating.  Burial will be in Clear Lake Cemetery.

    Visitation will be held Thursday, from 5 until 7 p.m. at Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 North 4th Street, Clear Lake.
    Memorials may be directed to the Mary Louise Byington Memorial Fund.
    Mary Louise was born Jan. 22, 1932, in rural Manly, Iowa, the daughter of Sonke and Johanna (Christiansen) Petersen.  She grew up helping her family on a farm near Manly and Plymouth, Iowa.  She attended and graduated from Plymouth High School in 1949.  Mary Louise was united in marriage to Marvin G. Byington on Jan. 15, 1950. To this union three sons were born.  Mary Louise stayed at home and raised her children. She later worked for Gamble’s Hardware Store and Eddy’s True Value as a sales clerk.
    Mary Louise was an avid sports fan of the Minnesota Twins and the Iowa Hawkeyes.  She enjoyed being a seamstress, flower and vegetable gardening, and canning and baking, especially cookies!  Mary Louise also enjoyed playing cards, refinishing furniture, and her children’s and grandchildren’s extracurricular activities.  Mary Louise was an active member of the Clear Lake United Methodist Church where she was a member of the Ruth Circle.  On Mondays you could find Mary at her Monday Coffee Club socializing with her friends.
    Mary Louise is survived by her children, Michael (Andrea) Byington, of Walcott, Iowa, Mark (Nancy) Byington, of Missoula, Mont., Tim (Diana) Byington, of Clear Lake; grandchildren, Katy (Matt) Brown, Jay Byington, Naomi (Josh) Levelle-Haslett, Jade Byington, Jennifer (Eric) Lamanna, Codie (DJ) Roberts, Tyler Byington, Tassia Tkatschenko; great-grandchildren, Turner Brown and Anthony Lamanna; siblings, John (Joann) Petersen, Pauline (Westly) Bahnsen, Margaret (Paul) Sabin, Marvin (Anita) Petersen, and Tom Petersen; brothers and sisters-in-law, Margaret Byington, Keith (Nancy) Byington, Don ( Marilyn) Byington, and Kathryn (Dennis) Kearns; along with numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.