Mary Anne Smith McNab, 82, of Brewster, Minn., was born on September 24, 1938 at Worthington Hospital in Worthington, Minn. She is the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Halfmann) Smith. Mary Anne attended grades one through five at Jackson County Rural School, a one room schoolhouse, grades six through eight at Okabena School and grades nine through 12 at Brewster High School, graduating in 1956. She attended Minneapolis Business College for one year and then worked as a medical secretary for Doctors Stosser and Nelson, allergy specialists in Minneapolis. During her time in the twin cities, Mary Anne met lifelong friends and often took the train home to visit family.
In 1958, Mary Anne moved back to Brewster to marry local farmer Leo James McNab on August 23 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. In 2008, they celebrated 50 blessed years of marriage.
Mary Anne and Leo were blessed with eight children. Family, faith and farming were the center of their lives. Mary Anne was especially proud of her children and their spouses, grandchildren and spouses and great grandchildren. Family gatherings were always a jubilee! Mary Anne taught her children to love God, to be loyal to each other and to be best friends. She did this with patience and by example, seldom uttering a harsh word.
Mary Anne was known for her kindness and love of all people she encountered. She served on church committees, taught church school and worked as a cook at the Brewster School for 21 years. She enjoyed square dancing, annual trips to Little Ida Beach and Shady Creek Resort, fishing in Canada with Leo, pinochle with the Kosters, making chocolate chip cookies and attending the many activities of her children and grandchildren.
Mary Anne is survived by her eight children – Steven and Kayla McNab of Brewster, Minn.; Mary McNab of Rochester, Minn; Michael and Dr. Connie McNab of Slayton, Minn.; Teresa and Rob Olson of Eau Claire, Wis.; David McNab of Waseca, Minn.; Kathy and Ron Nelson of Andover, Minn.; Kevin McNab and Dawn Paxton of Mercer Island, Wash.; and Daniel and Kristin McNab of Honolulu, Hawaii. She is also survived by 18 grandchildren – Kasey and Jeremy Nelson, Neil and Brittney McNab, Raya McNab, Matthew McNab, Mary Lou McNab, Luke Olson, Annika Olson, Pamela and James Fett, Joseph McNab, Katie and Andrew Plumski, Emily Nelson, Kristin Nelson, Josh and Shelby McNab, Brittany and CJ Breitbach, Devan and Tait Stephens, Christian Paxton and Sakura Mamiya, Ray McNab, and Ruby McNab. She is also survived by nine great-grandchildren – Reagan Nelson, Rylan Nelson, Mia McNab, Hattie McNab, Leo McNab, Leah Plumski, Graham McNab, Greyson McNab, and Sydney Breitbach. She is also survived by a brother Edward and Loretta Smith of Brewster, Minn.
Mary Anne was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her sisters Ruth Rynda and Joan Eich, her daughter-in-law Patricia McNab, her grandson James Roy McNab, and her granddaughter Ann Dietz.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, June 27, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brewster, Minn. and also one hour prior to the service. Funeral services will be held on Monday, June 28, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Brewster, Minn., with Father Pratap Reddy Salibindla officiating. Burial will be held in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Brewster.
Benson Funeral Home in Worthington is in charge of the arrangements.
Previous Events
Visitation
27
Jun
516 10th St
Brewster, MN 56119
Visitation
28
Jun
516 10th St
Brewster, MN 56119
Service
28
Jun
516 10th St
Brewster, MN 56119
Cemetery Details
Location
Frontier Rd
Brewster, MN 56119
