Mary Hayden, 91, of Vandalia dies

Mary Jane Hayden, age 91 of Vandalia, passed away at 9:45 p.m. on Sunday, August 19, 2012 at the Tri-County Care Center in Vandalia, Mo.

Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, at Waters Funeral Home in Vandalia, Mo. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Vandalia. Officiating will be Father Paul Hartley. Music will be provided by the church choir. Interment will be in the Evergreen Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Pallbearers are Brent Hayden, Greg Hayden, Sara Price, Matt Griswold, Kyle Hayden, Deidre Hayden and Erin Nemenoff.

Mary Jane grew up in and was a 1939 graduate of Holy Rosary School in Monroe City. She then attended and graduated in May 1943 from St. John's Nursing School as an RN. Mary Jane worked at the Pike County Hospital and Audrain Medical Center. She retired in 1987 after over 20 years of service with the Missouri Department of Health as a nursing home inspector. Mary Jane was true to her religion and faith and a member of the Sacred Heart Altar and Rosary Society. She also enjoyed gardening, flowers and dancing.

She was born March 8, 1921 in Monroe City, Mo., the daughter of Thomas Claude and Cora Mabel (Lewis) Yates.

She married William "Cot" Morrison Hayden on June 3, 1943 in Monroe City; he preceded her in death on Nov. 5, 1985.

Survivors include four sons, Charles M. "Mickey" and wife, Janie Hayden of rural Vandalia; Donald E. "Don" and wife, Janice Hayden of Blue Springs, Mo.; Gerald W. "Jerry" and wife, Susan Hayden of Ashland, Mo.; Dana G. and wife, Vera Hayden of Vandalia; one daughter, Mary "Belinda" and husband, Steve Nelson of Overland Park, Kans.; one brother, Bob Yates of San Bruno, Calif.; one sister, Rosalene Graaff of Quincy, Wash.; seven grandchildren, Brent Hayden, Greg Hayden, Sara Price, Matt Griswold, Kyle Hayden, Deidre Hayden and Erin Nemenoff; three great-grandchildren, Zoey Hayden, Isabella Hayden and Rachel Nemenoff.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, "Cot"; two sons who died in infancy; four brothers, T.C. "Bud" Yates Jr., Gerald "Jerry" Yates, John L. Yates and James "Jim" Yates; two sisters, Doloros Elliott and Francis Louise Steinberg.

Memorials are encouraged to the Tri-County Care Center Activities Department or to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Altar and Rosary Society.