Obituary of Mary Kathryn Albrecht

ALBRECHT MARY

Mary Kathryn Albrecht was welcomed into her eternal home on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 at the age of 86 after a 38 day encounter with leukemia.  Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM, Monday, June 6, 2022, at St. Benedict Catholic Church, Yankton, SD with Rev. Thi Pham officiating.  Burial will be in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Yankton, SD.  Visitations will be 5 to 7 PM, Sunday, June 5, 2022, at the Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, SD with a rosary at 6:45 PM followed by a Scripture service at 7:00 PM.  Visitations will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.  Online condolences may be sent at:  www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.  Live streaming of Mary’s service can be found at: https://my.gather.app/remember/mary-albrecht.

Mary was born on April 11, 1936, to Frank and Agnes (Hauger) Heirigs.  She grew up as the youngest in a family of nine.  She was raised on the family farm near Freeman and was blessed to graduate from Mount Marty High School in 1954.  In the fall of 1957, she was joined in holy union to Paul Albrecht.  They were blessed to adopt two children, Patti and Nancy.

Mary was one of those ladies that was loved and admired for so many reasons.

Mary the Gardener:  Everyone who came to her home was fully aware of her green thumb.  She loved to have a variety of plants and would willingly share with others.  At one time she had over 60 thriving plants in her home.

Mary the Card Player:  It didn’t matter it if was pinochle, bridge, sheep head, euchre, or hand -n- foot, she was a willing partner.  She valued her time with her friends and the fun they had together.

Mary the Baker:  If you had her peanut brittle or pumpkin pie, you were one of the lucky ones.  She always blessed her family with large treat trays around the holidays, but also loved to treat her card playing friends to her delicious desserts.

Mary the Adventurer:  Her travels have taken her to New York City, Greece, Italy, Germany and most recently Florida where she enjoyed parasailing.  Yes, at age 83 she was flying high over the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Mary from Paul’s Kwik Stop:  Mary certainly had the gift of gab.  She loved all the conversations with random people who would come into the convenience store.  She also loved her “regulars” and the “coffee crew” who appreciated her smile and positive attitude at 6:00 am every day.  Many kids would come up to the store for candy treats and get quizzed by Mary about how they were doing in school.  She would proudly grin when someone would say “I remember coming up to get gummy worms from you when I was a kid!”

Mary the Scrapbooker:  Oh, how she enjoyed her scrapbook weekends.  She made countless beautiful scrapbooks that she proudly shared with family and friends.  She loved the new friends she made through scrapbooking as much as she loved her scrapbooks.  She was constantly encouraging people to send her pictures so we could go to Walgreens together and print them.

Mary the Collector:  Her home was filled with large antique collections of Avon bottles, angels, Dickens Village, wooden libraries, and so much more.  She appreciated the opportunity to share many stories of how she acquired her treasures while antiquing with her Quester friends.

Mary the Faithful:  Her Catholic faith was the cornerstone of her life.  She became an Oblate in 2018 which further exemplifies her love of the Lord.  She treasured her time with friends at the St. Benedict’s rummage sales.  She usually came home with a few “treasures” to share with her grand kids or great grand kids.

Mary the Mother:  While she was an amazing mother, she was most proud of being a grandmother to 4 and great grandmother to 2. Whether it was making pancakes after a sleepover, dying Easter eggs together, or going to the kids’ sporting events, Mary was always involved in the lives of her (great) grandchildren. Mary and Paul were the type of parents who set a loving example of giving to others and paying it forward.

Mary will be missed immensely by her daughter, Nancy (Brad) Wenande and their 3 children Tyler (Tess Hacecky), Drew and Courtney; her grandson Zach (Chelsea) Albrecht and their 2 daughters Harper and Lexi; her 2 sisters Sr. Patricia Heirigs and Norma Walters along with 2 sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and friends.

Greeting her in heaven are her husband, Paul Albrecht; daughter Patricia Wells; parents Frank and Agnes Heirigs, siblings Francis, Donald, Vincent, Jean, Harold, and Andrew along with many other treasured family members and friends.

To honor Mary, please consider a gift to the Frank E. and Agnes C. Heirigs Scholarship at Mount Marty University 1105 West 8^th Street, Yankton, SD 57078 to contribute for a lasting legacy.  Condolence cards may be sent to: 204 Benedictine Lane, Yankton, SD 57078.