Mary Alice Coleman

Mary Alice Coleman, 89, of Fort Dodge, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 23, 2022, at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home, surrounded by her greatest legacy - her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2022 at Holy Trinity Church with Rev. Ross Caniglia officiating the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be at Corpus Christi Cemetery. Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday at Laufersweiler Funeral Home. She is survived by her children, Kati Larson (Ron) of Naples, FL, Theresa Genereux (Dennis) of Centennial, CO, Patricia Williams (Dave) of Valencia, CA, Jane Pfannes (Steve) of Boone, IA, Dennis Coleman (Angie) of Davidson, NC, and Susan Coleman of Mohammedia, Morocco and Fort Dodge; 19 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren, sister Ruth Nelson of Minneapolis, MN, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Paul and Helen McCarville, infant son John Joseph Coleman Jr., infant daughter Christine Colleen Coleman, and a grandson. Mary Alice McCarville was born on June 14, 1933, in Fort Dodge to Paul and Helen (Sabatka) McCarville. She and her younger sister Ruth were raised by their homemaker mother and lawyer father - whose spirit of generosity became deeply ingrained in her. She often spent afternoons with him in his law practice, watching him provide legal services to farmers, sometimes in exchange for chickens or other goods. Mary Alice graduated as valedictorian from Sacred Heart High School in 1951 and attended Clarke College in Dubuque for two years, before leaving to marry John Joseph Coleman, of Clare, IA, in 1953. The couple resided in Fort Dodge in a home in which Mary Alice has lived for the past 68 years- most recently with the loving assistance of her youngest daughter and two grandchildren. They had eight children, two of whom died in infancy. Mary Alice raised her five daughters and one son as a strong single mother, assisted by her family and friends. Faith and family were the two most important pillars of her life and she dedicated herself to her children, her parish and her community. She carried her father's spirit of generosity forward into her own life, grounded by her Catholic faith. She was a lifelong member of Sacred Heart Parish and was an active member of Catholic Daughters of America, Monican Mothers, the Rosary Society and served as a Eucharistic Minister. She volunteered in the parish community, and gave freely of her time, but her special joy was time spent at the Holy Trinity Food Pantry and the Prison Ministry. She was active in her children's schools and activities, volunteering in their classrooms, serving on the school board at Sacred Heart and on the PTA at Butler School. She even coached her daughters' softball teams, although she knew nearly nothing about the sport! She was a firm believer in Catholic education. Her four older children attended Sacred Heart School, all six children went to St. Edmond High School and went on to graduate from Catholic universities, the five girls from Creighton and her son, Dennis, from Notre Dame. When her younger children attended public grade school, she further joined her faith with family, and began teaching 1 st grade CCD. She went on teaching every Wednesday for over 20 years and this was where her joy of teaching began. As her family grew older, Mary Alice returned to her pursuit of higher education through evening courses at Buena Vista College, offered through the Iowa Central campus in Fort Dodge. She received her BA in May of 1977, and upon receiving her degree, she pursued a career in education, first as a substitute teacher, and ultimately spending 18 years in special education at Fort Dodge Senior High School, before retiring in 2000. She was an avid sports fan and follower of her favorite teams, and spent many hours watching football, basketball, and tennis, particularly Iowa, Iowa State, Notre Dame and Creighton. She maintained a loving, open home where friends and family were welcomed unconditionally. She acted as a sounding board and surrogate mother to many - children of friends, and friends of children - all of which she did with her singular generosity of spirit. To friends and family, she will be most-remembered for her dedication and love for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren for whom she literally traveled to the ends of the earth to attend First Communions, Confirmations, graduations, weddings and family vacations. Her kindness, gentle, loving spirit and ready smile will be will be dearly missed. Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family. Visitation Fri, Oct 28, 2022 at 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home 307 South 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Rosary Fri, Oct 28, 2022 at 7:00 pm Laufersweiler-Sievers Funeral Home 307 South 12th Street Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501 Funeral Mass Sat, Oct 29, 2022 at 10:30 am Holy Trinity Church 2501 6th Avenue North Fort Dodge, IA 50501