Mary Ann Woolsey

Mary Ann Woolsey, formally of Inland, NE went to Heaven on Sunday, November 29, 2020.

Graveside Services will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, July 9, at Inland Cemetery in Inland, NE. A get-together will be held at the Inland Community School immediately following the burial. Memorials may be given to the Inland Cemetery or the Inland Community School Foundation.

Mary Ann was born Monday, December 12, 1932, in Omaha, NE to Charles H. Murphy and Leota Mae Allen Murphy. The family moved to Lincoln, NE while Mary Ann was a young girl. Mary Ann finished her schooling in Lincoln, NE, and started working for Kreske’s Five and Dime Store and later Western Electric.

On November 24, 1954, she married George A. Woolsey, at First Methodist Church in Fremont, NE. They lived in Lincoln during which time George finished college at the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture in Lincoln.

Upon George’s graduation from the University in 1958, George and Mary Ann moved to Clay County, NE and began Geo-Ann-Dairy in 1958 upon moving to Inland, NE. The Registered Brown Swiss Herd won numerous production and breed awards over the years. They milked until 1992 and remained at Inland until moving to Grand Island in February of 2010.

Mary Ann was a gift maker and giver all her life. She loved to bake cookies, cakes, and treats for people and give most of her treats away to friends and family. She loved having a big garden and preserving all of her fruits and veggies grown in the garden, mostly given away. She was a great seamstress and was always making quilts and handmade gifts for everyone.

Mary Ann was a 4-H leader for Halter Holders 4-H club for over 20 years. She was active in many organizations over her 60 years in Clay County, from the Garden Club to Clay County Historical Society of which she always enjoyed the special Christmas and holiday celebrations at the Museum and Clay County. She was a member of the Inland Community Home Makers. She enjoyed taking pictures of everyone and around the Dairy she and George shared together. Truly an animal lover, spending endless cold winters milking cows and taking care of the Dairy. She was also a dog lover, always having a special “rescue” dog right by her side.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by her husband, George of 60 years; grandparents; parents; and four siblings, Betty Murphy Sanderson, Lois Murphy Morgan, William Murphy, and Rose Marie Murphy Gardner.

She is also survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Julie (Randy) Meier of Grand Island, NE; son and daughter-in-law, George II (Monique) Woolsey of Fruita, CO; last living sibling and best friend, Charlene Kalkwarf of Lincoln, NE; six grandsons, Joshua (Kelsey) Meier of Doniphan, NE, Jordan Meier of Grand Island, NE, George III (Morgan) Woolsey of Fort Collins, CO, Gerad Woolsey, Griffin Woolsey and Giles Woolsey all of Denver, CO; four great-grandchildren, Alexis Meier Glaze of Grand Island, NE, George IV, Evelyn and James Woolsey all of Fort Collins, CO; and brother-in-law, Dr. Max Edmondson of Cassville, MO.