Mary Frances Ryan

Mary Frances Ryan, 94
Mary Ryan, a resident of Emerson Point in Iowa City passed away March 10, 2014 at Windmill Manor Skilled Nursing Facility in Iowa City, IA. Mary Frances Nicolay was born in Scranton, Kansas the fifth child out of seven of Lloyd and Bertha Nicolay on October 10th, 1919. She graduated from Lyndon High School in Lyndon Kansas in 1937. She married Stephen Philip Ryan in 1940 and lived for many years with her husband and four children in Azusa, California. When she and her husband retired they moved to Bullhead City, Arizona and she owned and operated a drapery store with her sister. After her husband’s death she moved to Solon, IA to live with her daughter and son-in-law Mary Ann and Bob Schneider. In 2010 she moved to Emerson Point, in Iowa City where the staff was so wonderful and caring.
Mary was a wonderful mother, great cook and had the patience of a saint. She was known for her radiant smile and famous for her cookies and she always had on hand. She not only taught her children the Golden Rule but she lived it herself and never had a bad word to say about anyone. She was a wonderful seamstress and sewing was a major part of her life. She will be missed by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, two sisters, her husband Philip Ryan, two sons, Steve and Tom Ryan, granddaughter Suzi Ryan, grandson Tom Ryan, and daughter-in-law Nancy Ryan.
She is surviving by her son Dan Ryan of Ozawkie, Kansas, daughter Mary Ann Schneider (Bob) of Solon, Iowa, brother Charles Nicolay (Karen) of Topeka, Kansas, two daughter-in-laws, nine grandchildren, eleven great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.
Memorial services will be Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, 4525 NW Button Road, Topeka. Private family inurnment will be Friday before the services at the Rapp Cemetery near Osage City, Kansas.