Mary McElroy

Mary Genevieve McElroy, 95, died peacefully Friday, June 19, 2026 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She had been living there for 3 ½ years to be closer to her sister, Ethel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am Tuesday, June 30 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Creston. Visitation with the family receiving friends will be from 9:00am – 10:00am at Holy Spirit Church. Celebrant Father Patrick Amedeka will be officiating. Burial will immediately follow the Mass at Calvary Cemetery in Creston. Memorials may be directed to Meth-Wick Community or Holy Spirit Catholic Church.  A funeral luncheon will follow the burial at the Holy Spirit Fellowship Hall.

 Mary was born September 21, 1930 to Edward and Martha McElroy in Lincoln Township (Union County, Iowa). Eventually, this family grew to include 6 sisters and 2 brothers. She loved her big family! She moved with her family to a farm on North Ash Street in Creston at a young age. She attended Creston Public Schools and graduated from Creston High School in 1948. She went to work the day after she graduated from high school, beginning at an auto parts business. She continued working at a variety of jobs until she retired from the dental practice of Drs. Tilley and Buck in the early 2000’s. She had a gift for office work and bookkeeping. This gave her so many opportunities to use her greater talent which was making and keeping friends. She also loved to work close to downtown so that she could shop for clothes on her lunch hour. Mary was always in step with the latest styles! Mary’s dedication to her family was most evident as she cared for both parents in her home until each of them passed. It was truly a labor of love.

 Mary is survived by two sisters, Patricia Knock of New York and Ethel Herring of Cedar Rapids. She is also survived by her sister in law, Kathleen McElroy of Lincoln, Nebraska as well as many nieces and nephews. Her dear friend, Lores “Stew” Stewart also survives Mary.

 Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Ed and Martha McElroy, sisters and brothers in law, Helen (Howard) Linderman, Kathryn (Dick) Kuhl, Margaret (Junior) Kernen, and Jean (Francis) Vais, Brothers and sister in law, Kenneth (Maxine) McElroy and John McElroy, and her brother in law, Jim Herring. 

Mary’s family is so grateful to the staff at The Meth-Wick Community in Cedar Rapids for the excellent care and friendship they provided to Mary.