Mary E. Miles

CEDAR RAPIDS: Mary E. Miles, 79, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Mason City, surrounded by her loving family, passed into the hands of God to be reunited with her beloved husband, Rolland, on Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at St. James Lutheran Church, 1148 – 4th Street SE, Mason City with Pastor Jeni Bohls officiating. Interment will be in Elmwood-St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 PM Monday, January 4, 2016 at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Mason City.

Mary was born February 17, 1936 in Tyler, Minnesota to Lyle and Sylva (Rullestad) Abrahamson. She graduated from Drake University. Mary was united in marriage to Rolland E. Miles August 13, 1961, and to this union three children were born, Pamela, Michael and Tami. Mary’s love of children led her to a lifelong career as an elementary school teacher, retiring from Garner-Hayfield in 1994 after 35 years of teaching in various communities. Mary was a member of St. James Lutheran Church in Mason City, and was served by First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids. Mary's greatest joy in life was spending time with her family and friends. She was a wonderful wife, mother, friend and an especially amazing grandmother (“Na”). Mary touched the lives of everyone she met, to know her was to love her. Mary had the uncanny ability to cheer people up just by being around them, and was known for sacrificing things for herself in order to be generous to others.

Mary is survived by 1 daughter, Tami (Josh) Moore and their children, Hunter & Spencer of Cedar Rapids; 1 son, Michael (Carrie) Miles and their children, Tristyn & Connor of Olathe, Kansas; 1 sister-in-law and best friend, Janice Abrahamson of Mason City; 3 brothers, Lyle E. (Zoe) Abrahamson of Rochester, Minnesota, Stanley (JoAnn) Abrahamson of Bluffton, South Carolina and Richard (Jean) Abrahamson of Edmund, Oklahoma; several nieces, nephews and cousins, including 2 special cousins, Lois Prosser of Cedar Rapids and Shirley (Kay) Hill of Springville.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Rolland in 2011; infant daughter, Pamela; brother, Donald Abrahamson; and nephew, Stephen Abrahamson.

Memorials may be directed to First Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids or St. James Lutheran Church in Mason City in Mary's honor.