Obituaries: Mary Margaret (King) Suva (Jan. 27 1922 – July 17, 2011)

Mary Margaret (King) Suva died Sunday, July 17, 2011, in Redding, Calif., at the age of 89.

She was born January 27, 1922, in County Galway, Ireland, to parents Martin and Mary King.

She was preceded in death by her brothers, Michael, Patrick, John and Frank and sister Enda. She was also preceded in death by her husband John Suva and son-in-law Bill Speer.

In 1952, at the age of 32, Mary came to the United States and settled in Klamath. Shortly after, she met John Suva, whom she married on January 3, 1955. They made their home in Klamath and had three children in the next 3 1/2 years. Mary was a stay-at-home mom, dedicating her life to raising her family.

In 1964 after moving to the Klamath Glen the family was devastated by the Klamath flood and their home destroyed. They decided to move to Crescent City and bought a house in the Beresa Tract, where she lived until 2006 when she moved to Redding to be closer to her family.

Once all three children had graduated from DNHS and headed to college, she began selling Avon, which she did for more than 30 years in her neighborhood.

After losing her husband unexpectedly in 1986, she kept herself busy devoting herself to her church; cleaning altar linens, tending the grounds, counting collections and volunteering at school fundraisers. She had a passion for working in her garden and was known for her green thumb. She loved helping Mark Mellett round up and feed his cattle. Her house was always open to her many friends, and her tea kettle was always on.

She is survived by her daughter, Colleen Speer (Royce Friesen), sons Marty of Redding, John of Sydney, Australia, and “adopted” daughter Maureen Mellett of Crescent City; grandchildren Tanya Mewhirter (Andy) and Billy Speer of Redding, and Alison and Jackson Suva of Sydney, Australia; and great-grandchildren Jordan and Connor Mewhirter of Redding.

Viewing will be at Wier’s Mortuary Chapel on Sunday, July 24, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with Rosary to follow.

A Mass of Christian Services will be held at St. Joseph’s Church Monday, July 25, at 12 noon with interment to follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Fellowship will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall immediately after committal services.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 319 E Street, Crescent City, CA 95531, or Wings of Angels (aiding families of seriously ill children) 6907 Weeks Road, Redding, CA 96002.

Arrangements are under the direction of Wier’s Mortuary Chapel of Crescent City.

— Submitted by Wier’s Mortuary Chapel