Mary Agnes Gaffney

Mary Agnes Gaffney was born October 19, 1930 in Oto, Iowa to George A. and Anna M.

(Dirksen) Redenius. She moved as a child with her family to a farm near Ida Grove, Iowa. She

attended grade school at Silver Creek #9 and graduated from Ida Grove High School. She moved

to Omaha, Nebraska to attend business college. She worked and remained in Omaha.

On August 18, 1951, Mary married William Dean Gaffney in Omaha. The couple was blessed

with ten children. She was a stay-at-home mom until the youngest was in junior high, then she

returned to work at a nursing home, at an insurance company, then as a secretary for a local

construction company. She enjoyed the work and especially the people she worked with.

She and her husband are charter members of St. Pius the X Catholic Church. All of their ten

children attended St. Pius the X grade school. Her Catholic faith was very important to her and

the Church and School was a focal point for majority of their lives.



Mary enjoyed involvement with her family and friends, sewing, embroidery, cooking, and

occasionally playing the piano. She loved to attend her children’s and grandchildren’s sporting

events, plays, recitals, Mass parts, or most anything for family. She made personalized

handmade gifts of pajamas, towels, pillowcases, blankets, clothes, etc. all with great love and

care! Later in life she enjoyed watching various sporting events including figure skating, Duke

basketball, Michael Jordan era Chicago Bulls and the Olympics. She also enjoyed ‘Wheel of

Fortune’ and ‘Jeopardy’ which she could solve the puzzles and answer the questions before the

contestant, and her husband. She also enjoyed watching Mother Angelica and the programing

on EWTN.



She was always a gentle, kind, and hard-working woman. She would spend her time preparing

meals or gifts for everyone and was comfortable taking the back seat while others had their

moment to shine. She would let her husband tell all the jokes but when given the opportunity,

she could really sling a poignant one liner. She truly was the wind beneath our wings! She will

be dearly missed by those who knew and loved her!



She is survived by her husband Bill; children; Vicki Owens, Jan (Gene) VonAhn, Bill Gaffney, Tom

(Laura) Gaffney, Mary Kay (Kurt) Cowger, Jim Gaffney, Carol Thomson, Bob Gaffney, Kathleen

(Dean) Headley, and Colleen (Terry) White; grandchildren, Christine, Tami, Kyle, Kollin, Kraig,

Ryan, Cody, Kelley, Bill, Brad, Nick, Kathryn, Jamie, Amanda, Jessica, Andrew, Katie, Kristen,

Kimberly, Jennifer, Jacob, Nick, Morgan, Meghan, Judd, Sarah, Emily, Rachael, Mitch, Liz, Abby,

Juliana, Maggie, Tyler, Quinn, Brett, Jacob, and Aiden; 44 great grandchildren; as well as many

nieces, nephews, and other relatives.



She was preceded in death by her parents; George and Anna Redenius; brothers; Paul and

George Redenius, sisters; Catherine Ehrig and Betty Goodman, brothers-in-laws; Jack Gaffney

and Leo Ehrig, sons-in-laws; Jim Owens and Terry Thomson, grandchildren; Michaela Kirkebak

and Faith Gaffney, nephews; George and John Ehrig.



FUNERAL MASS on Wednesday, December 15, at 10:30am at St. Pius X Catholic Church.



Memorials to Thomas More Society, or Mater Filius of Nebraska.































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