Mary K. Durley

Mary K. Durley, age 86, of Potosi, passed away on Monday, March 11, 2024. She was born on July 25, 1937, to Daniel B. and Elva M. Kane of Burton, WI. Mary was the second youngest of four children.

Mary K. Kane met Robert H. Durley at a dance in Rockville and that encounter led to a marriage that lasted 65 years, as the two wed on June 25, 1958.  They had six children and built their home in Potosi. 

Mary grew up in Burton and attended Cassville grade school and then Immaculate Conception Academy high school in Dubuque, Iowa. She worked as an IBM card puncher for the University of Wisconsin in Madison.  Mary was a fulltime homemaker and number one supporter and chauffeur to their six kids while Bob worked at John Deere.  Mary and Bob started Durley’s Saw and Mower Service, repairing and selling JD lawn and garden equipment, as well as snowmobiles at their home in Potosi.  Mary took care of the books, orders, billing, stocking shelves, along with picking up and hauling JD equipment from the Horicon, WI plant.  Mary and Bob were avid snowmobilers and belonged to the Mississippi Bluff Riders snowmobile association. Mary dearly loved supporting her children in all their activities. Whether it was as den mother to the Boy Scouts, housing the Girl Scout cookie orders, or attending all sporting and musical events, she never missed a concert performance, a play, a musical or a forensics competition, FFA contest or the Grant County Fair.  

Mary also served in many organizations such the Potosi Band/Music boosters, Potosi Historical Society, Grant County Historical Society, Potosi Brewery Foundation, and Passage Thru Time Museum, and was a long time member of the St. Thomas Church choir.  Mary loved family history, learning about her ancestors and tracing their lineage. She spent countless hours researching courthouse documents, corresponding with relatives in Ireland, England, and all across America tracing her genealogy on both sides.  Mary also provided information to family history platforms making sure the information was preserved for generations.

While Bob was busy collecting his JD toys, Mary enjoyed refinishing furniture, attending auctions, antiquing and collecting unique nativities. She hated to pass one up! Mary enjoyed playing piano by ear, singing, taking pictures of her family and documenting their adventures and keeping track of her favorite TV soap and the Royal Family. She was a great badminton player and enjoyed family competitions in her large front yard.

Survivors include her children: Kayleen K. and Robert L. (retired music teachers) of Centerville, Iowa; Dan (Patty) (Lands’ End Business Outfitters) of Potosi; Mary Ellen (Captain U.S. Coast Guard) and Kathleen (music teacher) of Portsmouth, Virginia; and Lori L. (art teacher) of Potosi; two brothers, Bob (Dorothy) Kane of Verona, Don of Dearborn, MI; and one sister, Joan (Dave) Henkel, Cedarburg, WI; nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband Robert H., his parents Walter A. and Mabel Durley, her parents Dan and Elva Kane, Marie Kane, brother in-law Walter (Bud) Durley; sister-in law Pat (Knapp) Durley, and beloved pets Lassie, Spotty, and Beethoven. 

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Potosi, WI. Burial will be in the St. Thomas Catholic Cemetery, Potosi. Family and friends may call on Friday, March 15, 2024 from 4-7 P.M. at the Martin Schwartz Funeral Home in Potosi, and Saturday morning from 9:30 A.M. until the time of services at St. Thomas Catholic Church. A luncheon will immediately follow burial. Martin Schwartz Funeral Home & Crematory is assisting the family.