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A Mass of Christian Burial for Mary F. Cummings, age 91, of Ogallala, NE and a longtime resident of Gordon, NE will be at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church (228 N. Maverick) in Gordon, NE with Father Joseph K. Joseph officiating.

Burial will be in the Gordon Cemetery.

A vigil service will be at 7:00 PM on Friday, September 23, 2016 at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Gordon.

A memorial has been established for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home, PO Box 366 Gordon, NE 69343.

Online condolences may be left at www.chamberlainchapel.com.

Mary passed away on September 19, 2016 at Ogallala Community Hospital in Ogallala, NE. She was born April 25, 1925 at Hot Springs, SD to George H. Malone and Stella Woodden Malone. She attended Our Lady of Lourdes Mission School in Porcupine, SD. She then graduated from St.AgnesHigh School in Alliance, NE in 1943. She received her Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary's College in Leavenworth, KS in 1947.

She met the love of her life, James "Jim" Cummings, on a blind date in Kansas City, MO. They were married on August 7, 1948 in Porcupine, SD. Their union was blessed with 13 children, and the family made their home in Porcupine, where they owned and operated the Porcupine Trading Post, a general store and post office that had been in the family for 72 years. Mary served as the Postmistress for many years. In 1990, the two retired, and subsequently moved to Gordon, NE. In 2015, Mary moved to Ogallala, NE to be closer to family.

Mary was a woman of great faith and love. She was devoted to God and her Catholic faith, as well as to her family. She had a wonderful love and gift of music, which she shared with Jim, and then passed on to all of her children, which will always be cherished by her family. Her love and work ethic was evidenced in every stitch of clothes that she made, the prom and wedding dresses she created, the huge meals she served, the homemade jelly, the cups of cocoa she fixed and the wonderful dinner rolls she baked along with all of the countless other ways that she served her family and community over the years. She was a warm and patient woman. She was a good listener and a true friend.

She was a long-time member of St. Leo’s Altar Society, American Legion Auxiliary, the Our Lady of Lourdes PTA and a 4-H Leader. She especially loved her time spent with the Happy Hour Extension Club that she was a part of for so many years.

Mary was preceded in death by husband Jim, son Mick, her parents, infant brother John, brother Jerry and his wife Maggie, sister-in-law Freddie Malone, brother-in-law Pete Fasczewski, and son's-in-law Rodney Hunt, Irv Butts and Jim Thalken.

Mom is lovingly survived by children Kathleen (Bob) Zahm of Chadron, NE, Peggy Thalken of Ogallala, NE, Maureen Butts of Ogallala, NE, Colleen (Don) Hill of Box Elder, SD, Mary Jo (Ted) Dubs of Calhoun, GA, Tim (Michel'l) Cummings of Rapid City, SD, Trish (Curtis) Peterson of Rapid City, SD, Sheila (Dan) Kihlthau of Gering, NE, Dan (Jill) Cummings of Forsythe, IL, Eileen (Pat) Shannahan of Ogallala, NE, Brian (Andrea) Cummings of Lincoln, NE, and Bridget (Craig) Spencer of Torrington, WY; 20 grandchildren; seven step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; 20 step-great-grandchildren; four step-great-great-grandchildren; and siblings Bernadette (Bob) Hughes of Kansas City, MO, Pat (Delphine) Malone of Coronado, CA, Jim (Jean) Malone of Wheatridge, CO, Tom Malone of Ogallala, NE, and Margaret Fasczewski of Aurora, CO.

Chamberlain-Pier Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for Mary Cummings.