Mary Sternhagen

Click to View Mary's Memorial Service Live

Mary Ruth Sternhagen, 87, of Highmore, passed away Sunday, February 14, 2021 at the Good Samaritan Society, Miller, with her family at her side.

Memorial Mass will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, February 22, 2021 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Highmore, with Father Paul Josten, celebrant. Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. with a rosary at 10:00 a.m.  A lunch will be provided after Mass.  Burial will be at Rosehill Cemetery, Scotland, SD, at a later date.  Masks are encouraged at the service.

Mary Ruth was born to Arnold and Catherine (Kribell) Bickett on May 21, 1933, Mary wrote this about that day: “The morning of May 21, 1933, dawned bright and clear, after several days of rain. The field was finally dry enough to plant corn. It was a little late, but hopefully, the crop would be good. After a morning of milking cows and tending to his other chores, Arnold Bickett was preparing to go to the field. Catherine, his lovely wife, said, “Arnold, it’s time.” At the end of the day, instead of neatly plowed rows of corn, he had a new baby daughter. I was named Mary Ruth, as every Catholic family had a daughter named Mary and Ruth was after my mother’s sister, Sr. Ruth, whose birthday I was born on. I joined an older brother and sister, Joe, 4, and Helen, almost 2.”

Mary Ruth’s family lived on a farm south of Beresford when she was born, the family later moved to a farm near Winfred SD, where she attended school at St. Agatha’s. After she graduated in 1951 she went to Mount Marty on scholarship but by Christmas time that year, she knew that that was not what she wanted to do with her life. She left school and started working at the nursery at Sacred Heart Hospital. In January of 1953, Mary met Bill Sternhagen and on May 25, 1953, Bill and Mary eloped to be married.  This marriage brought Michael, James, Mark, John, and Bethany.  Mary loved to cook and she took every chance she could to share and pass on her culinary skills. She always had a silly side and often found something to laugh about. Her family was of the utmost importance to her from her children all the way down to great grandchildren. She always stayed busy with something, whether it was reading library books or cookbooks and trying new things, or cross stitch or quilting or putting puzzles together, she rarely sat still.

Mary is survived by her siblings: Helen Schaefer, Paul (Virginia) Bickett; Margaret (Roger) Yates, Tom (Rose) Bickett, Pat (Darrell) Reifenrath, Kathleen Joseph, Cel (Doug) Wittrock, and Leona (Duane) Eggert; her children: James Patrick Sternhagen (Annette), Mark Thomas Sternhagen, John Arnold Sternhagen (Janet), and Bethany Ann Simonson (John); eleven grandchildren; eight great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Mary will be greatly missed by so many. She is preceded in death by her parents, Arnold and Catherine; her brother, Joe; husband, Bill; and son, Michael.

In lieu of flowers, Mary’s request was to pass the hat around at the service.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Mary’s arrangements.