Mary Ann Holthaus, 75, of Seneca, KS, died early Friday morning, May 6, 2005 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca. She was diagnosed with leukemia in September 2003.

She was born August 2, 1929, the daughter of Fred J. and Clara Lierz Broxterman on a farm southwest of Baileyville. She attended Star School and Baileyville School. Mary Ann worked for her grandparents on their farm and then moved in with her brother, Gilbert, while she worked at Axtell Hospital as a nurses aid in 1957.

On January 7, 1958, she married Edwin J. Holthaus at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. They initially lived on a farm southeast of Baileyville. From 1966 they farmed and operated a dairy near Soldier. She was a homemaker and also helped in the dairy until 1987. They moved to Seneca in 1993. She worked for Three Rivers Home Health Care after moving to Seneca.

She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and St. Ann’s Altar Society at the church in Seneca. Mary Ann and Ed worked dances at the Knights of Columbus, and she also made pies for the Knights of Columbus meals and bingo. She was a former member of St. Patrick’s Church and the Altar Society in Corning, where she quilted with the quilt group. Earlier she taught sewing at the Soldier 4-H Club. In February of 1980 she won grand champion at a pie-baking contest sponsored by the Brown-Nemaha County Pork Producers. She was an industrious person who always had a large garden, did a lot of canning, embroidery, and made quilts for all her children. She enjoyed fishing with her husband and playing cards.

Survivors besides her husband Edwin are four sons, Gary and Richard, both of Topeka, Bob of Las Vegas, NV, and Tom of Silver Lake; two daughters, Joann Brees of Holton and Brenda Haug of Virginia Beach, VA; three brothers, Gilbert and Cletus Broxterman, both of Baileyville and Daniel Broxterman of Centralia; three sisters, Rita Burdiek of Centralia, Evelyn Burdiek and Maxine Strathman, both of Seneca; and 17 grandchildren.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Galen Broxterman on September 21, 1971; two sisters, Maleta Gress on November 25, 1984, and Mildred Haug on June 2, 2001; and a granddaughter, Heather Schmitz Holthaus on November 2, 1984.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 AM Monday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 7 PM Saturday and 7 PM Sunday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School, Midland Hospice, or the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.