Mary (Dexter) Rownd

life story

Mary (Dexter) Rownd

Mary Charlotte (Dexter) Rownd, 92, of La Crosse, WI, peacefully passed away on June 18th, 2022, surrounded by her family.

Mary was born on November 22, 1929, the first of 5 girls, to Lloyd and Nellie (Breeding) Dexter, of Marysville, Kansas. Her youth was spent on the family farm. On May 10, 1947, she married Kenneth Carl Rownd and together they raised three children primarily in Lincoln, Nebraska. Because of Ken’s career with the railroad, they moved several times before adopting La Crosse, Wis., as their hometown.

Mary was never one to miss a social gathering, and her friendships were near and dear to her. She loved to play cards, especially bridge, and was an avid reader. Mary and her husband were active in the First Presbyterian Church of La Crosse, Wis.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Kenneth; her parents and parents-in-law; her sister and husband, Ruth and Glen Wollenberg; brother-in-law Howard Rownd and wife Anna; and brother-in-laws Ivan Hinkle and Gary Pitts.

Mary is survived by her son, Kenneth Rownd II; her daughters, Sandra (Phil) Williamson and Joni (Bruce) Sherin; seven grandchildren, Brooks, Geoff, Ginny, Jason, Jessica, Josh and Sarah, eight great grandchildren; and her sisters, Viva Hinkle, Washington, Kan., Carol Knowlden, Prescott, Ariz., and Cathie Pitts, Boise, Idaho.

The family would like to thank Deer Crest Senior Living - Memory Care Unit, of Red Wing, Minn., and Brighton Hospice for the excellent and gentle care they provided Mary in the final months and days of her life.

There will be no memorial services, per Mary’s request. A small family gathering will take place at a later date for interment, at Oak Grove Cemetery, in La Crosse, Wis.