Mary Ellen Fincham, age 84, of Eldridge and formerly of Nevada, died at her home on Tuesday, August 15, 2017. 

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 19, 2017, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Nevada, with Fr. Rick Dagit officiating.  Burial will follow in St. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Cemetery, rural Gilbert.  Visitation will be held at the church on Saturday from 9 a.m. until the time of services.  In lieu of flowers, memorials in Mary’s name may be directed to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 1110 10^th Street, Nevada, IA  50201.

Born August 21, 1932, in Nevada, Iowa, Mary Ellen (Corbin) Fincham was one of nine children born to Hugh and Emma (Wirth) Corbin.  Mary’s life was shaped by the deaths of both her parents as a young girl, her mother when she was 10 and her father at age 11.  As a result, Mary spent four years at St. Mary’s Orphanage in Dubuque and a year in foster care.  When her older sisters were able to secure housing in Nevada, Mary joined them, by then a sophomore in high school.  A year later, the family purchased a home in Davenport and reunited with their brothers.  Mary graduated from Davenport High School.

On June 7, 1951, Mary was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart from Nevada, Ronald Fincham.  They lived in Dubuque while Ron attended college, then moved to Davenport to be near family.  In 1964, they settled in Nevada and raised their four children, Rick, Rhonda, Paul, and Elizabeth.  Mary worked as a floral designer at Posegate’s Flowerette in Nevada for many years, retiring in 1988.

She was a faithful member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Nevada, where she participated in Altar Society, and also belonged to the Society of the Little Flower.  She enjoyed her children and grandchildren, was an avid reader, and in earlier years, made many happy memories square dancing, traveling, and golfing.  In 2010, she and Ron moved to Eldridge.

Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Ron; three children, Rick (Anne) Fincham of Newton, Rhonda (David) Stevenson of Goldfield, and Elizabeth “Betsy” (Kevin) Gibson of Ames; a daughter-in-law, Mary Fincham of Rockton, IL; nine grandchildren, Sara (Mark) Rooney of Story City, Nathan (Lizbeth) Stevenson of Ankeny, Emma Stevenson of Ankeny, Laura Stevenson of West Des Moines, Ryan Gibson of Des Moines, Matthew Gibson of Ames, Michelle Gibson of South Bend, IN, Dana Fincham and Corbin Fincham both of Rockton, IL; and five great-grandchildren, Samuel, Hope, Hattie, Hannagan, and William.  She is also survived by three brothers, Jack (Shirley) Corbin, Ronald (Helen Ann) Corbin, and Donald (Carol) Corbin, all of Davenport; and many nieces, nephews, and other extended family members.

She was preceded in death by a son, Paul; her parents; four brothers, Edward, Lawrence, Jerry, and Jimmy in infancy; and two sisters, Iona Ricketts and Rosella Schebler.

Ryan Funeral Home of Nevada has been entrusted with the care of Mary and her family.