Mary Lou Denn

Mary Lou Denn, 81, of Waseca passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 14, 2018 in her favorite chair at Foxdale Senior Living in Waseca.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 am Saturday, April 21 at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Waseca with Father Gregory Leif officiating. Visitation will be 4:00 7:00 pm Friday, April 20 at the Church with prayer service at 7:00 pm. Visitation will resume Saturday, one hour prior to the funeral. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Music Ministries at Sacred Heart in honor of Mary Lou.
Arrangements are being handled by the Starkson & Steffel Funeral Home ~ McRaith Chapel of Waseca. www.wasecafuneral.com
Mary Lou was born February 14, 1937 in Mankato to Louis and Marie (Hartung) Goettl. She was the 9th of 11 children raised on the family farm and she graduated proudly from Loyola High School.
She began working with her girlfriends from high school at the Mankato Box Company. Along with her friends, Mary Lou danced at the Kato Ballroom where she soon met Marlyn Paul Denn. On April 9, 1958 they were joined in marriage at St. Peter and Pauls Catholic Church in Mankato and soon moved to Waseca where they raised six children.
Mary Lou was a devout Catholic her entire life having helped teach religion classes and inspired her children and grandchildren to participate in the music ministry programs with their church. She helped create and manage the Country Denns Band where her children performed for weddings and other family gatherings. Mary Lou was the bookkeeper for her husbands D&K Construction company for 12 years. She volunteered as the Band Booster President in Waseca when her children were in school, worked as a Para at Hartley Elementary and as a secretary at Farmers Insurance. As Mary Lou and Marlyn worked towards retirement, you would see her working next to her husband at all of the small construction job sites.
Gardening and canning produce, sewing clothes for her children, playing cards with friends, dancing the polka and creating ceramic gifts were just a few of her enjoyments. Mary Lous favorites though were her flower gardens, creating photo books and family genealogy. Family time was held very dear to her, making sure music was a part of everyday life.
Her legacy will be remembered for her work ethic and passion for music that truly touched the lives of her family and friends, her wonderful spaghetti hotdish and her love of church, where she will be deeply missed.
The family of Mary Lou would especially like to thank the staff at Foxdale for their love, comfort and care that they gave to mom and the entire family.
Mary Lou is survived by her husband of 60 years, Marlyn; children, Marlys (Curt) Froehle of Waseca, Michelle (Patrick) Kelly of Hudson, WI, Mary Jo (Steve) DeLaitsch of Waseca, Michel (Amy) Denn of Minneapolis, Mark (Nancy) Denn of Waseca and Monty (Hilary) Denn of New Prague; grandchildren, Kasarah (Chad) Robertson, Taylor (Braidon) Schmahl, Shanelle Froehle, Kathryn (Greg) Van Ness, Megan (Chris) Laylan, Daniel Kelly, Joseph Kelly, Maria (John) Carroll, Jacki (Tor Ole) Odden, Jeffrey (Jessy) Werner, Jessica Denn, Isaac Denn, Jackson (Emily) Denn, Nelson (Ellie Decker) Denn, Jacob Denn, Anara Denn and Zachary Denn; great-grandchildren, Sophie Robertson, Maleah Robertson and Monica Carroll; siblings and in-laws, Clete (Elaine) Goettl, Adeline Sieberg, Roger Goettl, Louis (Donna) Goettl, Richard Goettl, Lowell Denn, and Albert Denn.
She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings and in-laws, Julian and Mary Goettl, Bernie and Delores Goettl, Willie and LaVonne Goettl, Lorraine and Jerry Frederick, Elaine and Ike Sweiger, Curt Sieberg, Sandra Goettl, Phyllis Goettl, Helen Denn, Edna Mae and Donald Kalbow, Lorraine Kalbow, Vernice Denn, Marilyn and Dwain Nelson.