M. Virginia O'Leary

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg. Burial is in St. John's Catholic Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Emmetsburg Catholic School Cafeteria for Equipment updates. Margaret Virginia "Kelly" O'Leary, daughter of Genevieve and Edward Kelly, was born on July 31, 1931 in Emmetsburg, Iowa. As a young adult she worked at the Dime Store and often recalled Friday nights when the stores were open late and everyone would come to town to do their shopping, including her soon to be husband Tim who would sometimes catch the latest western at the theater while she finished her work day and prepared for their Friday night date. She graduated from the Emmetsburg Catholic High School in 1949 and married her high school sweetheart Tim O'Leary November 23rd of that same year. They were blessed to have eight children and 32 wonderful years together. She was a loving mother, with a quick wit, wry sense of humor, strong will, and sense of right and wrong that she did her best to instill in all of her chil...[more]

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n and grand children all while maintaining a steady supply of chocolate chip cookies and fresh bread for all those that entered Mrs. O'Leary's kitchen. She especially treasured her 24 grandchildren and 12 great grand children and she loved when everyone came back to Emmetsburg and filled her home with noise, laughter and stories (of which some were even true). She enjoyed traveling, to Des Moines for her annual shopping trip, and periodic road trips to Washington, California, Phoenix, and Colorado to visit her children and grand children. In 1985 she began working at the Emmetsburg Catholic School in the cafeteria, and gained new "grandchildren" every year. She took pride in providing delicious home cooked meals for the children of Emmetsburg and being everyone's "Grandma O". From her chocolate chip cookies that the school would sell for fund raisers, to her homemade breads, buns, and cinnamon rolls that teachers would pay extra for, Virginia was a fixture at the Emmetsburg Catholic School even up to 2013. Virginia enjoyed reading, country music, crocheting blankets with and for all of her grandchildren, passing on family recipes (even though it is suspected by some that she would occasionally "forget" one special ingredient so no one could make it quite as good as she did), teaching her grandchildren about Little Orphan Annie, church on Saturday night, a never ending supply of chocolate chip cookies for visitors dropping in, scolding her kids and telling them to "be nice", baking homemade bread for toast and peanut butter that, according to the children & grand children always "tasted better when made by little grandma hands", never ending croquet matches at family gatherings, playing all types of card games (always on the lookout for someone cheating at UNO), watching or listening to E-Hawk football games, taking the grandkids down to the fair grounds to teach them how to drive, and attending the annual St. Patrick's Day events that drew everyone back home. Virginia's sense of humor, strength, and love of family and life will live on through her family. Welcoming her into heaven on August 16th 2014 , were her loving husband Tim, parents Genevieve & Edward Kelly, her in-laws Peter & Emma O'Leary, siblings Dick, Bob, Mary Evelyn, Elaine, and Betty. Cherishing memories of Virginia are her sister Patricia Thompson of Clear Lake, IA; children: Tim of Emmetsburg and his wife Pam; John of Emmetsburg and his wife Danita; Linda Brumm of Phoenix, AZ and her husband Charlie; Dianne Steinkamp of Norwalk; Angie Repetti of Spokane, WA and her husband Gregory; Chuck of Los Altos, CA; Sue O'Leary Adams of Vail, CO and Greg of Andover, MN and his wife Erin, along with 24 grandchildren, 12 great grand children, and many nieces & nephews. The O'Leary family expresses their deep appreciation to the caring nursing and hospice staff at PARC Hall, as well as Dr. Matthews and the nursing staff at the Palo Alto County hospital. Your care and patience has been a comfort during this stressful time. In lieu of flowers, monetary gifts would be appreciated and will be donated to the Emmetsburg Catholic School Cafeteria for equipment updates.