Mary Jean Mortell, 78, of 3720 Village Place, Apt. 5224, died Saturday, January 27, 2007, at Friendship Village Medical Center of natural causes. She was born March 26, 1928, in Kankakee, Illinois, daughter of J. William and Hattie A Purtill Mortell. She graduated from Kankakee High School in 1946 and received her bachelor's degree at Dominican University, then Rosary College, in River Forest, Illinois, in 1950. She moved to Cedar Falls in 1958 to be assistant dormitory director of Lawther Hall at Iowa State Teachers College, now the University of Northern Iowa. In 1960, she took the position of secretary to Dr. Ross Nielsen, head of the Department of Teaching at the Price Laboratory School. She retired from that position in 1983. Survivors include: four nieces, Christine Plazas of Irvington, New York, Linda Bunda of Rossford, Ohio, Sheila Finan of Hinsdale, Illinois, and Elizabeth Duebenetoby of Poway, California; also longtime friend, Evelyn Hart of Waterloo. Preceded in death by: her parents; a sister, Frances Mortell; and two brothers, John and James Mortell. Services: 11 am. Thursday at St Edward's Catholic Church, with burial at 1 p.m. Friday in Kankakee Memorial Gardens, Kankakee. Public visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on South Street, where there will be a 4 p.m senior citizen rosary and a 7 p.m. vigil. Visitation also for an hour before services Thursday at the church. Memorials: may be made to Cedar Valley Hospice, Hospice Link, or Friendship Village Medical Center. Condolences may be left at www.hagartywaychoffgrarup.com Mary enjoyed knitting, camping, and golf and was a member of St. Edward Church. Copyright Waterloo Courier, January 30, 2007, page A8.
