Obituary of Mary Wehnes
Mary Frances (Van La Moen) Wehnes, 90, died peacefully on July 31 after a brief illness. Her family had spent her last days at her bedside. She had moved to Dallas, TX, to be closer to her daughter after falling ill at her home in Hendersonville, NC. She passed away just seven months after her husband of 63 years, James Sleaford Wehnes, died in North Carolina. Mary received Last Rites of the Roman Catholic Church shortly before her passing
Mary was born in Kimberly, WI, the youngest of three daughters of Arnold and Grada Van La Moen, who had immigrated to the United States after WW I in 1920. The couple settled in Wisconsin, to live near other Dutch relatives and friends who had also immigrated after the war. The family spoke only Dutch in their home, the daughters learning English after they started kindergarten.
Jim served briefly in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and moved from his home in Minnesota to Appleton, WI, where he worked at Sears Roebuck, at that time the retail giant in America. It was in Appleton that Mary and Jim met. They were married Oct. 1, 1955 at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Kimberly, WI. Mary and Jim moved frequently during his career in retail, living in suburban Chicago, suburban New York City, as well as in Tokyo and Seoul, South Korea. While in Seoul, Mary worked for several years as a civilian employee of the U.S. Army. The couple retired to Hendersonville in 2005 where they were members of the Hendersonville Country Club and Immaculate Conception Church. Through the years, Mary spent her energy rearing their four daughters, learning new hobbies such as Japanese flower arranging, and becoming an avid watercolorist. She and her husband traveled extensively in retirement, going to Europe several times and Mexico often.
Survivors include four daughters – Jeanne (Scott) Spreier of Dallas; Elizabeth (Timothy) Gaudreau of Charlotte; Kathleen Wehnes of Baltimore; and Linda (Arne) Kiel of Seattle; grandchildren Mary Lu (Thomas) Hare of Fort Worth; Wilson (Shelley) Spreier of Oklahoma; Joel Spreier of Michigan; Becky (Billy) Leng of Charlotte; and Nicole (Tony) Hsu of Charlotte and a great-grandson. Other survivors include step-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and extended family in The Netherlands, with whom Mary kept in close contact. Mary’s precious sisters Adrianna (Jane) Waters and Henrietta (Hattie) Buerger died several years ago.
Memorial services are pending. Donations in her memory may be made to RAICES, which works with children in the border region of Texas (raicestexas.org) or to Catholic Charities Archdiocese of San Antonio, Inc., which provides support services to assist low-income immigrants in Texas. (ccaosa.org).