NEW ULM–With heavy hearts, we announce that Mary Lee Lappe, age 76 of New Ulm passed at her sister’s home in New Ulm on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. Mary was a breast cancer survivor, but the cancer later metastasized to cancer of the peritoneum which she fought courageously for the past 13 months.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm where she was a member. Visitation will be held from 9:30-11:00 a.m. on Thursday at the Cathedral prior to the Mass. Burial will take place in the St. Paul’s Catholic Cemetery in Comfrey at a later date. To leave an online condolence for her family, or to sign the guestbook, go to: mvfh.org

Mary is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Daryl Helget of New Ulm; her nieces, Lyndsey (Keith) Beranek, and their children, Jared, Chloe, and Mogan all of New Ulm; Krystal (Joe) Loula and their children, Ashlyn, Kaelyn, and Claire all of St. Peter; and Holly (Danielle Standfield) Helget of Minneapolis; sister-in-law, Deb Zahn of New Ulm; and several cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Sharon Kay Lappe; and her brother, Frank Arnold Lappe; her maternal grandparents, Frank and Julia Thobe; and her paternal grandparents, Arnold and Elizabeth Lappe.

Mary Lee Lappe was born on November 6, 1947, in Carroll, Iowa to Harold and Bernita (Thobe) Lappe. The family moved in 1955 to a farm on the Red Rock Ridge in Comfrey, Minnesota. In 1966 they moved to New Ulm where Mary graduated from New Ulm High School in 1967. Soon after she graduated from De Lyles Cosmetology School in Fairmont, Minnesota. Over her working career, she worked in office and retail positions in New Ulm which she greatly enjoyed. In Mary’s younger years, she enjoyed sewing, biking, and 4-H projects. Later, she had a firm dedication to eating organic grown food. She read and collected cookbooks on raw and organic foods, tested new recipes for cooking and baking, and especially enjoyed recipes made in her Vita-Mix blender for daily morning smoothies. She also looked forward to short notice driving trips with her mother and sister to area towns to check things out and planned frequent trips to Comfrey and Willmar where they would tend to family cemetery graves. Mary especially enjoyed her last years living at the Sunset Apartments where she made wonderful friends. While at Sunset, she had the opportunity to plant a herb and vegetable garden that she took great pride in. Mary loved all of her family, but deeply treasured and cherished her three nieces, Lyndsey Kay, Krystal Leigh, and Holly Noelle. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and the fun and joy she saw on the faces of her great nieces and nephew fulfilled her. Mary was a very gentle, kind, and giving woman. May these memories and countless others stay in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved her.

Mvfh.org

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