Mary Lawinger

Mary J. Lawinger, age 86 of Sauk Centre, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 26, 2025 at Galeon Senior Living in Osakis, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, December 31 at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Kevin Soenneker will officiate the Mass with Rev. Dave Flanagan concelebrating and Deacon Larry Lawinger assisting. Interment will be in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Mary Jane Wilcox was born on October 9, 1939, in Bagley, Wisconsin, to Lawrence and Florence (Knight) Wilcox. She graduated from Patch Grove High School in 1957 and began her working career at Madison Bank and Trust Company. On February 3, 1958, she was united in marriage to Kenneth “Ken” Lawinger at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Mineral Point, Wisconsin and together they were blessed with nine children.

Mary later worked at JCPenney before serving as the accountant for the family business, Northern States Feeder Pig. She was deeply involved in her community, serving for 12 years on the Citizen Advisory Board at the Home School Juvenile Correctional Facility. Mary was a member of Christian Mothers and St. Paul’s Catholic Church, where she served as a Eucharistic Minister. She also served on the Sauk Centre Park Board and was secretary for the Endowment Committee for Holy Family School. In her free time, Mary enjoyed playing cards, visiting the casino, and especially spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include her children, Deacon Larry (JoAnn) Lawinger of Maple Grove, Tim (Patty) Lawinger of Sauk Centre, Jim (Ainslie) Lawinger of Ambia, Indiana, Debi (Chuck) Reynolds of Sauk Centre, Andy (Karla) Lawinger of Oakdale, Geri (Tom) Swanson of St. Cloud, Alan (Cheryl) Lawinger of Sauk Centre, Chris (Lisa) Lawinger of Sauk Centre, and Jean (Todd) Marthaler of Sauk Centre; 26 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law, Helen Lawinger-Regan of Mineral Point.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Ken Lawinger on June 21, 2022; her parents, Lawrence and Florence Wilcox as well as step-mother, Louie Wilcox; brothers and sisters, Marjorie Kipper, Earl Wilcox, Elizabeth Puckett, Emma Bradley, Leora Clark, Virdiabell Bohringer, Marena Wilcox, Lucille Dvorak, Vance Taylor, Frances Nielson; and Lawinger in-laws, Helen (Cecil) Flanagan. Eleanor (Gil) Joestgen, M. Joan (Joe) Grimm, Alice (Linus) Hartung, William “Bill” (Helena)Lawinger, Agnes “Ag” (Jim) Knudson, and Robert “Bob” Lawinger.