Mary M. Bronder

Mass of Christian Burial celebrating the life of Mary M. Bronder 101, of Annandale will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell. Mary passed away peacefully at the Annandale Care Center on Thursday December 2, 2021. The Reverend Ronald Weyrens will be the celebrant.  Burial will be in the St. Francis Xavier Parish Cemetery.

Visitation will be on Monday, December 6, 2021 from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Cloud and one hour prior to the funeral at the gathering space in St. Francis Xavier Church.

Mary was the oldest of three daughters born to Mathew and Monica (Barthelemy) Peschl on August 29, 1920. She attended the one-room schoolhouse near their farm in Minden Township, graduated from Cathedral High School, class of ‘38 and from Drew’s Business College. She married Benedict (Dick) Bronder on December 30, 1944 at St. Patrick’s Church. Together they raised their children James, Joyce, and Julie on “God’s little acre” on the shores of the Mississippi River.

As a young woman, she worked as a secretary in Foley and Minneapolis before becoming a bookkeeper for Martin Fruth, Inc. for 45 years. She was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Parish and the Christian Women. She volunteered at the SFX elementary school, elections in Le Sauk Township, was a member of the Foley Legion Auxiliary #298, and a Member of the PT Boat Association.

Mary and Dick had a lush garden and honeybees. In retirement they enjoyed traveling to reunite with “Ben’s” Navy buddies at PT Boat reunions across the country. Mary enjoyed time with her friends in their sewing club, playing cards with other couples, Sunday dinners at the farm, the 4th of July at Little Rock Lake, embroidering and sewing clothes for her daughters and granddaughters, and keeping a tidy home filled with love. She was a woman of great faith with a special admiration of Our Holy Mother. She prayed the rosary daily and commented that it was what she could do to help others as she progressed in years. Mother was a true blessing to our family. She treasured her family and noted every child, grandchild and great-grandchild’s birthdays and other special accomplishments and could readily tell you all of their birthdates (and those of most other relatives), even at 101 years of age. Her memory was remarkable. She will be greatly missed.

Mary is survived by her daughter Julie (Dan) Hall of Annandale; son-In-Law, Bruce Bartels of Annandale; grandchildren Melissa (Keith) Blom of Sartell, Cory (Dan) Davis of Elkton, SD, Chris (Nikki) Hennen of Wasilla AK, Matthew (Kelli) Bronder of Annandale, Alexander (Lindsay) Bronder of Annandale; great grandchildren Haley, Olivia, and Jadyn Evans, Ryann, Reagan, and Ty Davis, Izzy Hennen, Hadley and Hazel Bronder, and Talan, Evyn and Cohen Bronder.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Benedict Bronder 2014, son James Bronder 1964, daughter Joyce Bartels 2021, and sister’s and brother’s-in-law Faye (John) Reilly, Bernice (Donald) Kost.

Memorials are preferred to the Poor Clare’s Monastery, the Maryknoll’s or a Pro-Life cause.

Special thanks to all the people who have assisted in mother’s care from food prep, to cleaning, to assistants and medical staff. These special people are angels among us caring for those most in need as they age.