Mary Brumm

Mary Brumm, 94, of Storm Lake died Jan. 7, 2025, at Methodist Manor Retirement Community in Storm Lake.

Funeral services will take place Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 4-7 p.m. with Vigil Services at 6:45 p.m. followed by K of C Rosary, all at Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake.

Mary Teresa (Kasel) Brumm was born at home near Adams, Minn., on Oct. 5, 1930. She was the second child of a future family of 10 children of Paul and Anna (Bodensteiner) Kasel. She graduated from Visitation High School in Stacyville in 1949. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1953, she married John R. Brumm at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Meyer. They had a wedding dance at the famous Terp Ballroom in Austin, Minn. To this union were born 10 children, which Mary spent 35+ years of her life raising. John was a truck driver and so was often gone during the week. She spent her days caring for children, cooking, cleaning, gardening, canning and pinching pennies.

When her children were in school, she went to work for Damon’s Department Store in Mason City. When Walmart opened, she changed jobs and worked there for 25+ years. Then when John and Mary moved to Storm Lake in 2007, she worked for Storm Lake Walmart as a door greeter for about three years. She was a very loyal and hardworking employee.

Her Catholic faith was very important to her. She passed it onto her children and made sure they all attended Catholic school. Her church activities included Eucharistic Minister, RCIA sponsor, parish council and guild president.

For fun she loved to play cards, especially 500. If one of her kids or grandkids were playing a sport, she would attend if possible. Her favorite teams were the Minnesota Twins and Iowa State Cyclones. She loved the color green. She lived many places during her life: Adams, Johnsburg and North Mankato in Minnesota; Meyer, Osage, Mason City and Storm Lake in Iowa. Family was extremely important to her. Every year, she and her nine siblings and their families would gather on the last Saturday of the year to celebrate Christmas and each other. When that could no longer happen, it then became her and John and their 10 children and their families. That tradition continues today.

Indeed, her family shall miss her. Her surviving children are Karen and Terry Murray of Storm Lake; Donna and Paul Mueller of Elsberry, Mo.; Scott and Brenda Brumm of Cedar Rapids; Carmen and Al Santee of Ankeny; Bruce Brumm of Webster, Minn.; Nancy and Mark McEachran of Cedar Rapids; Kurt and Brenda Brumm of Bonner Springs, Kan.; Mark and Crysti Brumm of Carlisle; Terry and Tara Brumm of Tarpon Springs, Fla. Other survivors are daughter-in-law Kelly Brumm of Cedar Falls; 22 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; siblings: Gene, Danny, Joan and Carol; in-laws: Vera Kasel, Barb Kasel, Dennis Kitt, Becky Kasel and Barb Brumm; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband John; son Darryl; brothers: John, William, Ted and Paul Jr.; sister Barb Kitt; in-laws: Richard Krause, Marlys Kasel, Harriet Kasel, Darlene Kasel and Charles Brumm.