Mary Elizabeth Hansen, 99, passed away peacefully on 21 March surrounded by her sons at the Garrison Benedictine Living Center. Private funeral services will be held on Monday at 10:30 am at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Garrison. Burial will be at the church cemetery.

Mary was born on 30 March 1920 in the Emmet community, North Dakota to John and Myrtle Kovarik. She married Clem Hansen in 1940 and raised 5 sons in Garrison. Together with Clem they built a custom harvesting business that encompassed 5 states for 41 years until Clem passed. She then continued with the harvesting business with her two youngest sons until 1995. She loved the harvest tempo and had made many friends from Texas to North Dakota. At age 85 she could still be found in the bed of a farm truck shoveling grain or jumping on a trampoline with grandchildren. She loved to fish and garden but most of all she loved to chat with her friends over coffee or bridge games.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Clem, son John, grandson Steven, her parents John and Myrtle Kovarik and seven siblings: Lucille, Johnny, Peter, Tessie, Curtis, Kaywin, and Catherine. She is survived by: four sons, Roger (Imelda) of Albuquerque, NM; James (Kathy) of Colorado Springs, CO; Paul of Bismarck, ND; Michael (Brandy) of Colorado Springs, CO; 12 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandson and many nieces and nephews.