Mary Anderson

MARY JANE'S TRIBUTE VIDEO

Mary Jane Anderson, 92, of Gettsyburg, died Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at the Gettysburg Medical Center.

Funeral services were held at 10:00a.m., Saturday, November 3, 2007 at the Gettysburg United Methodist Church, with Pastors Susan O’Connell and Tom Ingalls officiating. Graveside services were held at 2:30p.m., Saturday at the Murdo Cemetery, Murdo, SD.

Visitation was held from 1:00p.m. to 8:00p.m., Friday, November 2, at the Luce Funeral Home in Gettysburg, with a 6:30p.m. memorial service. Organist was Gail Larson, with music by Mona Beringer.

Mary Jane Kane was born January 6, 1915 to Robert and Blanche Kane at Harris, Iowa. Placed in the South Dakota Children’s Home at Sioux Falls, she was adopted by Frank and Nellie Coye of Kadoka on March 1, 1916, and enjoyed a very happy life. Mary Jane attended school at Kadoka and graduated from high school in May 1932.

She married Morris H. Ingalls of Murdo March 26, 1933, at White River, in the Congregational Church. They purchased the Mellette County News, the weekly newspaper at White River, in August 1937, and in August 1955 they bought the Murdo Coyote and moved to Murdo, continuing to publish both papers. They later sold the Mellette County News and purchased the Draper Tribune, Draper. Mary Jane learned the newspaper trade from her husband and was active in the business, operating the Linotype and commercial printing press, writing local news and helping with the bookkeeping. The couple raised two sons, Larry and Tom, both of whom were in the newspaper business. Larry retired in 1998 and Tom is a minister.

Morris died February 12, 1969, and she continued to publish both newspapers for several years with the help of her two sons before Tom and his wife Judi purchased them. Mary Jane helped at the Coyote until accepting the position as community service aide with the Greater Missouri Community Development Corporation for Jones and Mellette counties in 1975.

She married Norman Anderson August 23, 1980, at Gettysburg, where they made their home, wintering in Harlington, TX. He passed away June 18, 1995.

Mary Jane enjoyed playing the piano and singing. She sang her first solo in church at age 8, and played the piano for silent movies at the Kadoka Theater while in school. She played high school basketball, was a cheerleader, sang in operettas and was in plays. One feat she liked to tell about was climbing the water tower in Kadoka with several girlfriends. “Girls weren’t supposed to do that,” she always said with a laugh. Mary Jane loved life and liked being with, and visiting with people from the time she was a young girl.

A born again Christian, she sang in church choir, was Methodist Youth Fellowship director, MYF youth choir director and counseled at the Black Hills church camp for many years while living in White River.

Fishing was her favorite hobby, and while her sons were growing up she enjoyed taking young people to athletic events, fishing, swimming, roller skating and other activities. A hobby in later years was making craft items to give to family members and friends. Mary Jane had a compassion for other people. She was a 74-year member of the No. 105 Order of Eastern Star, Murdo, and a member of the United Methodist Church and Medicine Rock Senior Citizens Center, Gettysburg.

Survivors include her sons, Larry and wife Janet, Webster; Pastor Tom and wife Judi, Glendale, AZ; six grandchildren and 13 step grandchildren; 11 great grandchildren; and 24 step great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, parents, a sister, Lois Beveridge, and brothers Floyd Coye and Robert Boner.

In lieu of flowers, memorials will be directed by the family to the Ingalls scholarship fund, c/o Larry Ingalls, 450 W 8th Ave, Webster, SD 57274. The scholarship is presented annually to a journalism student at South Dakota State University, Brookings.