Mary Magdalene Blake

Mary Magdalene Blake, age 90, of Stacyville, Iowa, passed away on Monday, August 4, 2025, at the Mitchell County Regional Health Center. Mary was born to Albert and Mary (Schaefer) Blake in Meyer, Iowa, on March 16, 1935. She attended Meyer Independent School from 1941 – 1949, grades 1 to 8. She entered her freshman year of high school in 1950 attending Visitation School in Stacyville, Iowa, and continued her sophomore to senior year at Immaculate Conception Academy in Dubuque, Iowa, having entered the Sisters of Mount St. Francis in Dubuque.

Her teaching experience began in Sacred Heart School in Riverside, Iowa, from 1954 – 1956; Sacred Heart School in Melrose Park, Illinois, from 1956 – 1958; St. Jospeh School in Sugar Creek, Iowa, from 1958 – 1960; St. Ann’s School in Hazel Crest, Illinois, from 1960 – 1966; St. Christopher’s School from 1966 – 1969; Bryant Public School in Sioux City, Iowa, from 1969 -1971; St. Boniface School in Sioux City, Iowa, from 1971 – 1978, and at Visitation School in Stacyville, Iowa. Finishing a 16-year span of love for her teaching, over a 40-year career and retiring in 1994. In total, slightly over 3,000 students were served.

Mary taught grades one to eight in Illinois and Iowa. Sunday classes were held for preschool children, ages 3, 4, and 5, for ten years from 1980 – 1990. Mary also taught adults for those securing their GED degree through NIACC from 1980 -1990 at both Osage and Stacyville.

Other endeavors included for Mary were owning and operating “The Old Gray Mare Guest House” from 1990 – 2000; owning and managing restaurant’s: Pizza Palace, Banner Pizza, and Blake’s Café from 1989 – 2009. She was a newspaper reporter from 1998 – 2022 for The Monitor Review, The Monitor Recorder, and the St. Ansgar Enterprise Journal. Mary joined the Stacyville Mission Quilters for 25 years. In preparation for Stacyville’s Sesquicentennial in 2006, the Stacyville Memory Museum was established in 2000.

Mary was a member of the Visitation Church Choir, Eucharistic Minister and Lector; and served the Stacyville Nursing Home and Stacyville Housing Board Member for 45 years. She served as Secretary for the Mitchell County Historic Preservation Association from 2009 – 2019. Mary participated in the Mitchell County Chorus at Visitation Catholic Church, performing in “The Messiah” on March 19, 2017. Mary took care of messaging the Stacyville Community Club Board for 17 ½ years. One of her favorite hobbies was gardening and traveling to 30 U.S. states.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Mary Blake; brothers, James, Leon; sister, Annabelle (Blake) Retterath.

She leaves behind two sisters, Susan (Blake) Wageman, Catherine (Blake) Brown; 20 nieces and nephews; and many great nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Visitation Catholic Church, with a visitation taking place one hour prior to the service. Burial will be at the Visitation Catholic Cemetery.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks and appreciation to her caring neighbors Carrie and Brain Jones, Amber and Jason Hanson and their sons, for all their help.

In Lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be sent to Visitation Catholic Church, Stacyville, Sacred Heart Oratory, Meyer, or SCNH Auxiliary or donor’s choice.

Hoff Celebrations - Champion Chapel of Osage is assisting the family with arrangements.