Mary Gene Hyke dies at 86

Mary Gene Hyke, 86, of Cresco, Iowa, died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn.   
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco, with Father Dennis Cain officiating. Burial will be in Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery Lourdes.  Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. rosary preceding the visitation on Thursday, Dec. 14, at Hindt-Hudek Funeral Home Cresco.  Visitation will continue an hour prior to the time of service Friday at the church. 
Mary Gene Ferrie was born on Sept.
27, 1931, daughter of Irven and Margaret (Fitzgerald) Ferrie, on their farm near Schley.  She attended rural country school and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Cresco.  After graduation Mary Gene received her LPN from St. Mary’s in Rochester and then was employed at the Cresco Hospital.  On Oct. 24, 1953, Mary Gene married Thomas Hyke at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cresco.  Together they had four children and farmed near Lourdes.  Mary Gene was a very hard worker.  She was in charge of making sure the cows were milked as well as other various chores around the farm.  She was a very active member of the Our Lady of Lourdes Church.  After Tom died in 1982, Mary Gene renewed her LPN license and worked at the Cresco Care Center.  Later she and her family moved to Cresco where she continued to work at the Cresco Care Center for 19 years.  She was very active in the Notre Dame Church. At the age of 70 she became one of the oldest kidney transplant recipients at Mayo Clinic.  Due to her transplant she could no longer work as a nurse so she became a very active volunteer.  She delivered Meals On Wheels, helped with BINGO at the Cresco Care Center, made noodles for the Howard County Fair church booth, tied quilts at the church, folded bulletins, visited the sick and volunteered for Hospice. She enjoyed baking, needle point, polka music, reading, and word searches.  She liked staying fit by walking at the  Fitness Center.  She made the best homemade chicken noodle soup, banana bread, and potato salad. 
Mary Gene had a very strong faith and attended mass several times a week, had a book of prayers she said every morning and prayed the rosary daily.  If there ever was anyone in a time of need Mary Gene would be there to help and prayed the rosary for them.  She had the sweetest smile and twinkle in her eyes that would melt your heart and let you know how deeply she cared.  Most of all Mary Gene loved being with her kids and grandkids, spoiling them with homemade cookies. 
She is survived by her daughters Julie (Norbert) Loftus of Lourdes, Patty (Ron) Orthaus of New Hampton, and Mary Jo (Jeff) Rings of New Hampton, 10 grandchildren Heather (Nate Johnson) Loftus, Derrick (fiancé Whitney Molln) Loftus, Brooke Loftus, Will Orthaus, Devin Orthaus, Daniel Orthaus, Adrian Rings, Alexis Rings, Gavin Rings, and Kinslee Rings, her brother Joe (Marie) Ferrie and sister Agnes Arnburg, sisters-in-law Doris Ferrie, Darlene Ferrie, JoAnn Ferrie, Mary Ann Bollman, and Virginia Nehl.
Mary Gene was preceded in death by her parents, husband Tom (1982), infant son (1973), son Danny (1992), sisters Sister Mary Denise and Anicetus, and her brothers Leland, Pete, Ron, Cecil, Art, and Jerome.