Mary Susan Vandeputte

Mary "Mare" Vandeputte passed away at the age of 63 on Friday, July 6, 2018.

Mary was born on March 15, 1955 in Marshall, Minnesota to Layton and Audrey (Johnson) Ausen. On January 17, 1975 she was married to Francis Vandeputte. They had three children together, whom Mary put her entire being into raising after Fran’s death in 1990.

Mary enjoyed planting flowers and spending time in the sun, as well as crocheting, crafts, and adding to her collections. She loved making big meals and hosting family events, especially Christmas Eve. Mary was dedicated to her beloved dogs throughout her years. Above all, she loved helping and spending time with her children: Ben, Sam, and Gretchen, and her grandchildren: Dominick, Hanna, Lukas, Max, Ryan, Colton, Paisley and Felicity.

Mary was so proud of her kids and grandkids and never missed a chance to tell them so. She always put them first and each and every one of them had a special and one of a kind relationship with her. It was apparent to everyone who met her how big of a heart and giving spirit she had.

Throughout her life, Mary worked in customer service at HyVee and Wells Fargo, and did bookkeeping and office management for her three kids’ businesses. She enjoyed helping her kids succeed in their entrepreneurships, and instilled a strong work ethic in each of them.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Francis, her father Layton Ausen, sister Jane Reinke, sister-in-law Mary Kay Ausen, and father-in-law Lester Vandeputte. She is survived by her son Ben (Nancy) Vandeputte, son Sam (Kristen) Vandeputte, daughter Gretchen (Brad) Novak, her eight beloved grandchildren, mother Audrey Ausen, brothers Owen (Jane), Ray, Jerry, and Dale (Michele) Ausen, sister Sally (Gary) Copperud, brother-in-law Ron Reinke, mother-in-law Marian Vandeputte, sisters-in-law Kathy (Burkhard) Drees, Alyce Dierickx, Carolynn Bieker, Marjorie (Gary) Bertsch, Donna Vandeputte, and countless other relatives and friends.

Mary’s remains will be buried next to her husband Fran at Calvary Cemetery in Marshall, MN.