Mary Alice O'Connor

Mary Alice O’Connor, age 97, of Faribault, MN, passed away November 4, 2023, at the Medford Senior Care Center.

Mary Alice was born on October 12, 1926 in Webster Township, Rice County, MN, to John and Sara Broderick McFadden.  She graduated from Bethlehem Academy High School with the class of 1944.  She was united in marriage to Floyd O’Connor on May 29, 1945, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Faribault.  In 1948, Mary Alice and Floyd moved their young family to a farm in Warsaw Township.

Mary Alice was raised on a farm, walked to country school and loved playing with her cousins.  Her parents moved to Faribault and she got a job at the dime store, sometimes sneaking candy from under the counter.  Her father played the fiddle and perhaps that explains why she loved to dance the night away at Jewett’s Point on Cannon Lake. 

Dad was the love of her life and it took only six months for him to convince her to marry him.  As her family grew in size, she spent more time sewing and baking in the kitchen, i.e., Cakes and pies.  She didn’t lose her love of parties and made time to celebrate on every birthday, Christmas, Easter or any other time she could imagine.  Perhaps, that’s reason the movie camera or the movie projector were always running in the house.

After the children were grown, she became interested in her family tree and spent countless hours doing research, eventually discovering she was 98% Irish and 2% Scottish.  She made two trips to Ireland and visited County Donegal where her paternal grandparents were born. 

She had endless energy and she worked hard.  She never tired of exploring the world near and far, and she was totally committed to her family. 

She is survived by her children, Darlene O’Connor, Gene O’Connor, Carol Schacht, Wayne O’Connor (Mary), Byron O’Connor (Linda), Elaine Mach, Yvon Lynch, Noreen Sevcik, Patrick O’Connor, Lyndon O’Connor (Bernadette Walter), Sheila O’Connor, and Kevin O’Connor (Kristen); 40 grandchildren; 82 great grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd; parents, John McFadden and Sara Broderick McFadden; Floyd’s parents, Tom O’Connor and Imelda Voegele O’Connor: daughters, Kathleen O’Connor and Gail O’Connor; grandson, Neil O’Connor; sons-in-law, Lester Sevcik, Ronald Mach, and Daniel Schacht; brother, Leo McFadden; brother, Francis McFadden; sister-in-law, Ida Rezac McFadden. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 am on November 17, 2023 at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault.  Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault.

Visitation will be held at Divine Mercy Catholic Church from 9:00 to 10:30 prior to Mass.

Memorials will be directed to an organization committed to building life experiences.