Mary Marlyn (Moret) Fineday

Dec 23, 20220

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Mary Marlyn (Moret) Fineday

October 9, 1948 ~ December 16, 2022

Mary Marlyn Fineday, 74, of Bemidji, MN, formerly of Cass Lake, MN, went home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, due to complications caused by a stroke on Friday, December 16, 2022, at Sanford Hospital in Bemidji, MN.

Mary was born in St Paul, MN to Edward and Belda (Jenkins) Moret on October 9, 1948. After she graduated high school from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis, MN, she attended Bible school at Briercrest Christian Academy in Caronport, Saskatchewan, Canada. Mary then obtained her teaching degree from Saint Cloud State College and immediately went to Ponemah Elementary school on the Red Lake Indian Reservation where she completed her student teaching.

By providence, Mary met Leonard Floyd Fineday, at Mo-Kuh-Um Indian Bible School in Cass Lake, MN where Leonard was a student. They would marry at the Wah-Bun Chapel in Ponemah, MN on June 9, 1974, and pastor at various churches throughout Leech Lake and Nett Lake Indian Reservations. As the pastor's wife, Mary led the church worship through singing and playing the guitar and piano. She also led children's ministry on Sundays and Vacation Bible School in summers.

Together, they had seven children and raised them in the Cass Lake and Bena areas on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. She loved her children and stressed the importance of education, community, good work ethics, and homeschooled her first grandchild in kindergarten.

Mary spent the majority of her teaching career at Ponemah Elementary School on the Red Lake Indian Reservation. She loved all her students and referred to them as 'her kids,' while referring to her biological children as 'her babies.' While teaching, Mary was 'adopted' into Red Lake families by gifts of a shawl, moccasins, hand drum, being invited to family powwows and was given an Ojibwe name, Mino Ikwe, or Good Woman.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Mary is survived by her children: Sarah (Ken) Cloud, Rebekah Fineday, David Fineday, Lois (Barry) Brown, Lenny Fineday, Jacob Fineday, and Ami Fineday; her grandchildren: Camdyn Fineday, Amadea Fineday-Singleton, Zoe, Isaac, Sia, and Miika Brown, Kourtni, Madline, Nishiime, and Kenneth Jr. Cloud; her brother Eddy Moret, her sister Kathryn Moret, her aunt Floretta Jenkins Bowman; and numerous cousins.

A visitation will be held from 5pm - 7pm at the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home in Bemidji on Dec 27, 2022. A funeral service will take place on Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at 11am at Bemidji First Assembly with visitation one hour prior to service, with Pastor Vern Lathe officiating. Graveside service immediately following will be at Pine Grove Cemetery, in Cass Lake.

Services

Visitation

Tuesday

December 27, 2022

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home

3330 Irvine Ave. NW

Bemidji, MN 56601

Visitation

Wednesday

December 28, 2022

10:00 AM to 11:00 AM