Mary Catherine (Kennedy) Detwiler

June 23, 1929 - May 16, 2016

Mary Catherine (Kennedy) Detwiler, 86, passed away Monday, May 16, 2016 at Pratt Rehabilitation and Residence Center to the sounds of her beloved Irish music in the company of her children and her loving husband. Mary was born June 23, 1929 to Harry Arthur and Hazel Mae (Ecord) Kennedy in Sterling, Colorado. Mary idolized her father, adored her mother and got a kick out of picking on her little sister, Peg. She always delighted in regaling her family with stories of her time at Lone Star school where she played basketball, worked on the yearbook staff and excelled at her studies. She sailed through her younger years with the same lighthearted wit and charming smile that she was known for later in life. She called these dry plains of Eastern Colorado home until marrying Homer Clarence Detwiler on August 20, 1950 in Pratt, Kansas where they ended up settling to raise their children and eventually where they would entertain their beloved grandchildren. During Mary’s time in Pratt, she helped her husband run a TV repair shop all while raising her four children and cooking three full meals a day. She somehow found time to be involved with the Altar Society and to be active in the Democratic Party. However, one of her most important roles was as a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pratt. She especially loved when her kids and grandkids would come to town and join her for midnight mass and Easter services. She loved to read; in particular, books on Native Americans, the Kennedy’s, Ireland and an occasional bawdy romance novel. You could always count on finding her on her deck, book in hand with a glass of iced tea. Mary also enjoyed playing solitaire, taking walks around her neighborhood, and listening to or watching Kansas City Royals baseball. She relished the time spent with her family, always made time for her friends and never met a stranger. In short, she was a: cooker of the best pancakes you’ll ever eat, dancer of jigs, reciter of many an Irish limerick, back scratcher deluxe, creator of Leppy the Leprechaun, protector of the cactus, garage sale warrior, Irish to the core, faithful Catholic, and adoring mother, wife, friend, sister and grandmother. She is survived by her husband, Homer; son, Scott (Tammy) Detwiler of Spring, Texas; two daughters, Kelly (David) Hughes of Clay Center and Randi Grubbs of Topeka; nine grandchildren, Sara Detwiler, Ryan Detwiler, Josh (Katie) Taylor, Cristelle Taylor, Megan (Ike) Hartford, Rachel (Leon) Springer, Kellen (Megan) Hughes, Jessica Grubbs and Tanner Grubbs; and 7 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Mike Detwiler; sister, Margaret Souser; two infant sisters; and a great granddaughter, Helen Hartford. Cremation has already taken place. Family will receive friends at Larrison Mortuary, 300 Country Club Road, Pratt, Thursday, May 26, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Vigil with Rosary will begin at 7:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 27, 2016 at Sacred Heart Church in Pratt with Father Floyd McKinney presiding. Inurnment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, Pratt, KS. Memorials may be made to Alzheimer Association or Interim Hospice in care of Larrison Mortuary.