Date of Birth:
Wednesday, March 1, 1933
Date of Death:
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Age:
90 years old

Mary Ann Boelman

Mary Ann Boelman, 90, of Rochester, Minnesota, died peacefully in the presence of her family on January 21, 2024, after a lengthy struggle with Alzheimer’s. She died at the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Sandra and Keith Roeder, who provided her with the most wonderful home and care for two and a half years at the end of her life.

Mary Ann was born March 1, 1933 on the family farm in rural Racine, Minnesota, to Leonard John and Rose (DeVries) Rehbein. She was the fourth child of a family that would grow to seven children. She grew up on farms in rural Racine and Chatfield, Minnesota, attending country schools.

Following school, she moved to Rochester and roomed with a girlfriend while working at the Woolworths lunch counter. It was there that she met Paul Gerald Jordan, marrying him on July 26, 1952. While married to Paul, she worked as a Tupperware dealer and as a waitress at The Country Club and for many years at Michael’s restaurant in downtown Rochester. Mary Ann and Paul raised six children together, divorcing after 26 years.

On December 29, 1978, she married Clarence Boelman. After their marriage she did the bookkeeping for Clarence’s Bo-Jac Roofing business. Several years later she realized what was probably her real calling when she opened a licensed day care center in their home. “Grandma B” nurtured dozens of children from infancy to Kindergarten and beyond, with Clarence becoming more involved when he retired from roofing.

In 2002, Mary Ann and Clarence sold their home on South Broadway to move to the west Phoenix suburb of Goodyear, Arizona. There they were close to the families of Mary Ann’s eldest and youngest daughters, Cindy (Randy) Olson and Paula (James) Weedman. They enjoyed watching grandchildren grow up and great-grandchildren come into the world.

In 2017, Mary Ann and Clarence sold their home in Goodyear and returned to Rochester. On August 11, 2021, Clarence died at the age of 93; they had been married for over 42 years and his loss left a huge void in Mary Ann’s life. Following his death, she lived in the home of Sandra and Keith Roeder for the rest of her life.

Throughout her life Mary Ann took pleasure in a wide variety of activities. She was a Girl Scout leader when her daughters were in Brownies and Girl Scouts. She enjoyed sewing, bowling, golf, reading (especially western and Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason paperbacks), Country Western music (especially Johnny Cash), western movies (especially John Wayne and earlier the singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers), playing many different card and dice games, dancing (she could polka with the best of them), baking and decorating a lot of fancy cakes, and anything to do with her large extended family. Mary Ann and Clarence also helped their adult children with a variety of projects at their homes.

Mary Ann is survived by all six of her children: Gary (Pam) Jordan, Cindy (Randy) Olson, Kathy (Scott) Kittleson, Kerry (Bob) Sanden, Sandra (Keith) Roeder, and Paula (James) Weedman; and all four of her stepdaughters: Cynthia Fjermedstad, Janis Lagomosino, Mitzi Boelman (Steve Persons), and Jessi (Dave) Boeck. Also by 21 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren; her sister-in-law Delores Rehbein (wife of her brother Edwin), Mary Lou and Ed Rauen (sister and brother-in-law of her first husband, Paul), Lynda Jordan (sister-in-law of Paul), dozens of nieces and nephews (godmother to several) and their families. She will be missed by these and many others.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence (and his infant son, Thomas), her parents, all six of her siblings and all but one of their spouses: Agnes (Clifford) Niemeyer, Donald (Darlene) Rehbein, Edwin Rehbein, Ester Mae (Wally) Nickelsen, Betty Jean (Lowell) Urban, and Rodney Rehbein; also by grandson Matthew Brown and granddaughter Lucinda  Lagomosino, nephews Kermit Nickelsen, Keith Nickelsen, David Rehbein, Danny Urban, Joseph Golberg, Donald Jordan, and Dick Golberg; as well as Clarence’s siblings and their spouses, and first husband, Paul Jordan, and most of his siblings and their spouses.

Visiting Angels staffers Christy and Janice provided great care and support over the last year of Mary Ann’s life, with Janice helping Mary Ann with several significant sewing projects.

If you wish to make a memorial donation, please consider Seasons Hospice, which provided wonderful support in the final weeks of Mary Ann’s life.

A celebration of life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024 in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home, 1105 12^th St. SE, Rochester. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until time of the service. A member of the family has severe scent allergies so please avoid perfumes, colognes, and other scents. Thank you very much for your consideration. To share a special memory or condolence, please visit www.mackenfuneralhome.com