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Mary Lou Hodgin Weniger 1924-2001
Mary Lou Hodgin Weniger, 78, died at her home in Denver, Colorado, September 5, 2001, after a brief illness. Visitation was September 6th at Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary. Funeral services were held at St. James Catholic Church in Denver September 7th at 10AM. Burial was at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Pallbearers were Bill Tedrow, Waylon Vajgrt, and Shannan Suppeland.
Mary Lou Hodgin was born September 23, 1924, at Reliance to Arthur and Carmen Hodgin.
She married Joseph Weniger at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1943. She worked at the Derby Café and the Rainbow Café. In 1961, Joe and Mary Lou purchased the Dairy Queen, which she operated until 1978. During this time she employed over 150 Chamberlain High School students, giving many of them their first jobs. Later the Weniger’s owned and operated the Missouri Valley Cable TV. After much traveling, they moved to Denver, Colorado in 1993.
Mary Lou was active in Chamberlain Area Historical Preservation Association, St. James Altar Society, The Birthday Club, and was past president, vice president, and secretary/treasure of the South Dakota Dairy Queen Association.
Mary Lou always looked forward to family gatherings and getting together with her friends, wanting to make the meals for all the events. Mary Lou was well known in the Chamberlain area for her unique parties and pranks.
Surviving relatives include her husband, Joseph of 57 years; son, Douglas, Denver, Colorado; daughters Cheryl Kovar, Conifer, Colorado, Janice Tedrow, Arvada, Colorado, Diane Vajgrt, Omaha, Nebraska, and Myra Suppeland, Parker, Colorado; one brother, Theron Hodgin, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; four sisters, Lorena Murphy, New Underwood, South Dakota, Shirley Novak, Chamberlain, South Dakota, Rita Strong, Wauwatsosa, Wisconsin, and Vivian Gillings, Academy, South Dakota. Her grandchildren and great- grandchildren include William Tedrow, Wesley and Jordan, Cleveland, Ohio, Taura Henderson, Greenwood Village, Colorado, Waylon Vajgrt and Aidia, Omaha, Nebraska, Lisa Vajgrt, Omaha, Nebraska, Shannon, Brady and Stacy Suppeland, Parker, Colorado.
Mary Lou Weniger was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers: Kenneth, Paul and Alan, one sister, Helen, and one son-in-law, Dennis Tedrow.
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Frances Stallman (King) (1957)
Posting this obituary gave me a nice trip down memory lane. I was a waitress @The Rainbow Cafe most of my teen years during the middle '50's & Mary Lou was a cook there during part of that time. She had a fantastic sense of humor & was a character to work with. I always had to 'inspect' the food she would put on the shelf because on occasion she mite place a foreign object on the plate! There was never a dull moment working with her. Reading about her life & accomplishments was interesting. God Bless her soul. frances stallman king