Mary James, age 94, of Buffalo passed away on December 1, 2010 after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held on December 4 at 3:00 PM at the Peterson-Grimsmo Chapel in Monticello, with Pastor Jim Disney officiating. Visitation at the Chapel begins at 2:00. The family plans a private interment. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary's memory may be made to your local Humane Society or animal rescue organization.
Mary was born on November 6, 1916, the daughter of John J. Fisher and Angelina Getzan Fisher in Mason City, Iowa. When Mary was 4, the family moved to rural Big Lake, a small house she referred to as the house by the big woods. Her education started in a one-room school in that area. Later the family moved to a farm nearer to Monticello where she attended school. A later move in 1928 brought them to Wright County.
On June 3, 1939, she was united in marriage to Mark H. James, also of Monticello Township, and they resided on their farm in rural Buffalo all their lives. Their union was blessed with three children – Dorothy, Daryle, and Harlow. The first years of married life were difficult in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. As years went by, Mary also worked off the farm at various jobs, including dishwasher at Etta's Café in Buffalo, clerk in Burkland's Department Store, accounting department at Advance United Shipping in Minneapolis, Hoffman Electric in Buffalo, Van Dusen in Wayzata for 13 years, briefly at Loram in Hamel, and also for a short time in Human Services at the Buffalo Court House.
During these years, she was always striving to further her knowledge and got her GED diploma at age 60. Her great love of reading enabled her to run the Buffalo Public Library, a job she loved because she could help so many young people. She held the position of evening and Saturday-afternoon work for nine years. She had read about a great librarian in the big public library in Minneapolis who could help people find any book on any subject and it was her desire to be like that. She had a following of a great many young people who would come by to thank her for her assistance. She also sent books and magazines to people she knew were ill and unable to come to the library.
After 22 years of these activities, Mary retired and could finally devote her full time to her other great love, gardening. The one large vegetable garden evolved into an extensive flower garden. A new vegetable garden, rock garden, and small orchard were started. She took great pleasure in sharing and swapping plants with friends. She also pressed dried flowers and leaves from her garden and used them to decorate her own greeting cards. Mary was a charter member of the Wright County Horticultural Society and for many years wrote a monthly column for its newsletter. She was also a member of the Minnesota Iris Society and Minnesota Hemerocallis Society, as well as an honorary lifetime member of the Anoka Area Garden Club. When she wasn't working in her garden, Mary also made more than a dozen quilts for family members, and embroidered pillowcases for all her nieces and nephews.
Mary is survived by her daughter Dorothy James and James Stolpa of Austin, TX, her daughter and son-in-law Daryle and Michael Hamlin of Ramsey, MN, and her son Harlow James of Lakewood, CO; three grandchildren, Chad (Virginia) James of CA, Ethan (Colleen) James of VA, and Dr. Colleen James of NC; and two great-grandchildren, Forest and Sissy James.
Mary also leaves to mourn many nieces and nephews in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Chicago area. Many good friends and neighbors called her Aunt Mary, Grandma Mary, and even Mom, and enabled her to stay in her own home until her last days. The Holm family and the Smolen/Brown family were so especially close that she considered them her own extended family. Their daughters, Avery Holm and Leah Brown, are her Minnesota granddaughters.
Mary was born on November 6, 1916, the daughter of John J. Fisher and Angelina Getzan Fisher in Mason City, Iowa. When Mary was 4, the family moved to rural Big Lake, a small house she referred to as the house by the big woods. Her education started in a one-room school in that area. Later the family moved to a farm nearer to Monticello where she attended school. A later move in 1928 brought them to Wright County.
On June 3, 1939, she was united in marriage to Mark H. James, also of Monticello Township, and they resided on their farm in rural Buffalo all their lives. Their union was blessed with three children – Dorothy, Daryle, and Harlow. The first years of married life were difficult in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. As years went by, Mary also worked off the farm at various jobs, including dishwasher at Etta's Café in Buffalo, clerk in Burkland's Department Store, accounting department at Advance United Shipping in Minneapolis, Hoffman Electric in Buffalo, Van Dusen in Wayzata for 13 years, briefly at Loram in Hamel, and also for a short time in Human Services at the Buffalo Court House.
During these years, she was always striving to further her knowledge and got her GED diploma at age 60. Her great love of reading enabled her to run the Buffalo Public Library, a job she loved because she could help so many young people. She held the position of evening and Saturday-afternoon work for nine years. She had read about a great librarian in the big public library in Minneapolis who could help people find any book on any subject and it was her desire to be like that. She had a following of a great many young people who would come by to thank her for her assistance. She also sent books and magazines to people she knew were ill and unable to come to the library.
After 22 years of these activities, Mary retired and could finally devote her full time to her other great love, gardening. The one large vegetable garden evolved into an extensive flower garden. A new vegetable garden, rock garden, and small orchard were started. She took great pleasure in sharing and swapping plants with friends. She also pressed dried flowers and leaves from her garden and used them to decorate her own greeting cards. Mary was a charter member of the Wright County Horticultural Society and for many years wrote a monthly column for its newsletter. She was also a member of the Minnesota Iris Society and Minnesota Hemerocallis Society, as well as an honorary lifetime member of the Anoka Area Garden Club. When she wasn't working in her garden, Mary also made more than a dozen quilts for family members, and embroidered pillowcases for all her nieces and nephews.
Mary is survived by her daughter Dorothy James and James Stolpa of Austin, TX, her daughter and son-in-law Daryle and Michael Hamlin of Ramsey, MN, and her son Harlow James of Lakewood, CO; three grandchildren, Chad (Virginia) James of CA, Ethan (Colleen) James of VA, and Dr. Colleen James of NC; and two great-grandchildren, Forest and Sissy James.
Mary also leaves to mourn many nieces and nephews in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Chicago area. Many good friends and neighbors called her Aunt Mary, Grandma Mary, and even Mom, and enabled her to stay in her own home until her last days. The Holm family and the Smolen/Brown family were so especially close that she considered them her own extended family. Their daughters, Avery Holm and Leah Brown, are her Minnesota granddaughters.
Mary James, age 94, of Buffalo passed away on December 1, 2010 after a brief illness. A memorial service will be held on December 4 at 3:00 PM at the Peterson-Grimsmo Chapel in Monticello, with Pastor Jim Disney officiating. Visitation at the Chapel begins at 2:00. The family plans a private interment. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary's memory may be made to your local Humane Society or animal rescue organization.
Mary was born on November 6, 1916, the daughter of John J. Fisher and Angelina Getzan Fisher in Mason City, Iowa. When Mary was 4, the family moved to rural Big Lake, a small house she referred to as the house by the big woods. Her education started in a one-room school in that area. Later the family moved to a farm nearer to Monticello where she attended school. A later move in 1928 brought them to Wright County.
On June 3, 1939, she was united in marriage to Mark H. James, also of Monticello Township, and they resided on their farm in rural Buffalo all their lives. Their union was blessed with three children – Dorothy, Daryle, and Harlow. The first years of married life were difficult in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. As years went by, Mary also worked off the farm at various jobs, including dishwasher at Etta's Café in Buffalo, clerk in Burkland's Department Store, accounting department at Advance United Shipping in Minneapolis, Hoffman Electric in Buffalo, Van Dusen in Wayzata for 13 years, briefly at Loram in Hamel, and also for a short time in Human Services at the Buffalo Court House.
During these years, she was always striving to further her knowledge and got her GED diploma at age 60. Her great love of reading enabled her to run the Buffalo Public Library, a job she loved because she could help so many young people. She held the position of evening and Saturday-afternoon work for nine years. She had read about a great librarian in the big public library in Minneapolis who could help people find any book on any subject and it was her desire to be like that. She had a following of a great many young people who would come by to thank her for her assistance. She also sent books and magazines to people she knew were ill and unable to come to the library.
After 22 years of these activities, Mary retired and could finally devote her full time to her other great love, gardening. The one large vegetable garden evolved into an extensive flower garden. A new vegetable garden, rock garden, and small orchard were started. She took great pleasure in sharing and swapping plants with friends. She also pressed dried flowers and leaves from her garden and used them to decorate her own greeting cards. Mary was a charter member of the Wright County Horticultural Society and for many years wrote a monthly column for its newsletter. She was also a member of the Minnesota Iris Society and Minnesota Hemerocallis Society, as well as an honorary lifetime member of the Anoka Area Garden Club. When she wasn't working in her garden, Mary also made more than a dozen quilts for family members, and embroidered pillowcases for all her nieces and nephews.
Mary is survived by her daughter Dorothy James and James Stolpa of Austin, TX, her daughter and son-in-law Daryle and Michael Hamlin of Ramsey, MN, and her son Harlow James of Lakewood, CO; three grandchildren, Chad (Virginia) James of CA, Ethan (Colleen) James of VA, and Dr. Colleen James of NC; and two great-grandchildren, Forest and Sissy James.
Mary also leaves to mourn many nieces and nephews in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Chicago area. Many good friends and neighbors called her Aunt Mary, Grandma Mary, and even Mom, and enabled her to stay in her own home until her last days. The Holm family and the Smolen/Brown family were so especially close that she considered them her own extended family. Their daughters, Avery Holm and Leah Brown, are her Minnesota granddaughters.
Mary was born on November 6, 1916, the daughter of John J. Fisher and Angelina Getzan Fisher in Mason City, Iowa. When Mary was 4, the family moved to rural Big Lake, a small house she referred to as the house by the big woods. Her education started in a one-room school in that area. Later the family moved to a farm nearer to Monticello where she attended school. A later move in 1928 brought them to Wright County.
On June 3, 1939, she was united in marriage to Mark H. James, also of Monticello Township, and they resided on their farm in rural Buffalo all their lives. Their union was blessed with three children – Dorothy, Daryle, and Harlow. The first years of married life were difficult in the aftermath of the Great Depression and World War II. As years went by, Mary also worked off the farm at various jobs, including dishwasher at Etta's Café in Buffalo, clerk in Burkland's Department Store, accounting department at Advance United Shipping in Minneapolis, Hoffman Electric in Buffalo, Van Dusen in Wayzata for 13 years, briefly at Loram in Hamel, and also for a short time in Human Services at the Buffalo Court House.
During these years, she was always striving to further her knowledge and got her GED diploma at age 60. Her great love of reading enabled her to run the Buffalo Public Library, a job she loved because she could help so many young people. She held the position of evening and Saturday-afternoon work for nine years. She had read about a great librarian in the big public library in Minneapolis who could help people find any book on any subject and it was her desire to be like that. She had a following of a great many young people who would come by to thank her for her assistance. She also sent books and magazines to people she knew were ill and unable to come to the library.
After 22 years of these activities, Mary retired and could finally devote her full time to her other great love, gardening. The one large vegetable garden evolved into an extensive flower garden. A new vegetable garden, rock garden, and small orchard were started. She took great pleasure in sharing and swapping plants with friends. She also pressed dried flowers and leaves from her garden and used them to decorate her own greeting cards. Mary was a charter member of the Wright County Horticultural Society and for many years wrote a monthly column for its newsletter. She was also a member of the Minnesota Iris Society and Minnesota Hemerocallis Society, as well as an honorary lifetime member of the Anoka Area Garden Club. When she wasn't working in her garden, Mary also made more than a dozen quilts for family members, and embroidered pillowcases for all her nieces and nephews.
Mary is survived by her daughter Dorothy James and James Stolpa of Austin, TX, her daughter and son-in-law Daryle and Michael Hamlin of Ramsey, MN, and her son Harlow James of Lakewood, CO; three grandchildren, Chad (Virginia) James of CA, Ethan (Colleen) James of VA, and Dr. Colleen James of NC; and two great-grandchildren, Forest and Sissy James.
Mary also leaves to mourn many nieces and nephews in Minnesota, Iowa, and the Chicago area. Many good friends and neighbors called her Aunt Mary, Grandma Mary, and even Mom, and enabled her to stay in her own home until her last days. The Holm family and the Smolen/Brown family were so especially close that she considered them her own extended family. Their daughters, Avery Holm and Leah Brown, are her Minnesota granddaughters.
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