Mary W. Hughes

Mary Joanne (Willette) Hughes died on April 29, 2026, at the age of 93. The daughter of a poet and a successful farmer, Mary—along with her 5 brothers—grew up on the family farm near Delavan, Minnesota. She attended a one-room schoolhouse through grade 8, graduated from Delavan HS and, in 1954, from the College of St. Benedict with a BA in Music. While at St. Ben’s she met the love of her life, St. John’s student Mark B. Hughes. They married in 1954 and then spent more than 66 years at N. 4th Avenue in Waite Park, MN in the home they designed and built.

Between 1955 and 1964, Mary and Mark had 7 children. A stay-at-home mom until 1969, Mary ran a busy household. She was known for wonderful baked goods, love of music, a deep enjoyment of prisms and their rainbows, and good conversation. She lived the Benedictine value of hospitality. Mary received the Mother Benedicta Riepp Award from the Monastery of St. Benedict in 2010.

Vatican II brought guitar music to the Catholic Church and Mary began a long self-taught relationship with the guitar so she could be an active participant in the new liturgical forms and song book. For more than 50 years, Mary led or was a member of church folk groups. Her lovely voice and musicality are gifts that many will always remember.

In 1969, Mary joined the faculty at St. Augustine’s Catholic School as a music teacher and then, a few years later, transitioned to Sts. Peter and Paul Middle School. Eventually she shifted to work with couples who were seeking to manage their family size within Church doctrine as part of the Diocesan Family Life Bureau.

An accomplished poet beginning in the late 1980s, she published three books – Quilt Pieces, Flight on New Wings and The Shadow Loom. She worked many years at the St. Cloud Hospital’s Recovery Plus program, using her poems in Flight on New Wings therapeutically with families stressed by addiction. In 2010 the National Association of Poetry Therapy presented Mary with a Public Service Award for her work at Recovery Plus. Her poetry was recognized in 1998 and 2010 by the Central Minnesota Arts Board.

She is survived by her husband, Mark; her 7 children and their spouses—Mary (Patrick Hynes), Michael (Gayle), Ellen (Bill Kain), Chris (Chris), Kathy (Barry Ross), Patrick (Margaret), and Terry (Alison); 22 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren, all of whom mourn her death.

The family is deeply grateful to those who cared for Mary in these last months – the Home Instead staff, particularly Christine and DeeAnn, the St. Croix Hospice staff, especially Shari and Amy, and the staff at Quiet Oaks.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Reverend Jeremy Ploof, Reverend Steven Binsfeld and Reverend Vince Lieser will concelebrate. Inurnment will take place at St. John’s Abbey Cemetery Columbarium at a later date.

Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026 at the Daniel Funeral Home, St. Cloud and from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service on Tuesday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud. Parish prayers will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, friends and family may make donations in Mary’s memory to their favorite personal charities.