Mary Louise "Lou" Gay

Funeral services for Lou Gay, 75, of O'Neill, were held Oct. 30, 2002, at 10:30 a.m., at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill with burial in the O'Neill Cemetery. Rev. Eric Olsen officiated the services. Visitation was from 3-9 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 29, at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a Parish Rosary at 8 p.m. She passed away Saturday, Oct. 26, at Avera St. Anthony's Hospital.

Music was provided by organist Nancy Grady and soloist Marvin Ziska.

Pallbearers were Tom Early, Rich McIntosh, Donavon Becker, Tom Riley, Jeff McGill, and Jim Berigan.

Honorary pallbearers were Alice Early, Marilyn Cole, Helen Reimer, Nancy Peetz, Kelly Ptacek, Nancy Grady, Eileen Robertson, Lorraine Becker, and LaRue Karnes.

Mary Louise Gay was born June 17, 1927, at O'Neill, to Hugh and Demaris (Stout) Birmingham. She attended St. Mary's Academy, graduating in 1945. Lou then attended Barat College in Lake Forest, IL, graduating in 1948. Following graduation, she joined the Red Cross, serving in Korea and Japan. One of her most special memories was of a Christmas Mass where she saw a number of O'Neill servicemen. She later served two years as a recreational director in Nance, France. Returning from overseas, she moved to Chicago, where she worked at the Dean-Whitter Brokerage Firm and also modeled for commercial advertising. In the early 1960's, Lou moved to New York, where she was casting director for the Dancer Fitzgerald advertising firm.

On July 22, 1967, Lou married Thurman (Dutch) Gay at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill. They lived a number of years in Omaha and Scottsdale, AZ, before returning to O'Neill in 1980.

Interested and involved in a variety of activities, Lou was a member of the Legion of Mary and the St. Patrick's Altar Society. She took special delight in appearing in costume as the "story lady" at special O'Neill Public Library readings. For a number of years, she was involved in raising and showing quarter horses throughout the region. In 1999, she and Dutch were chosen as Irish King and Queen of the annual O'Neill St. Patrick's Day Celebration.

She is survived by her husband Dutch Gay of O'Neill; a daughter, DeDe Small and her husband, Brad of Urbandale, Iowa; two granddaughters, Muara and Erin; and two sisters, Barbara Birmingham and Marde Riley, both of O'Neill.

She was preceded in death by her parents.