Mary DeJ Leibel-Gonzalez

Mary Leibel-Gonzalez of Rush City passed away very unexpectedly as a result of an automobile accident on Friday, September 16, 2016 at the age of 47. Mary DeJ Leibel-Gonzalez was born on April, 23, 1969 in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico to Manuel Renteria Rojas and Irma Morantes-Lopez. At the age of 14, Mary made her way to Minnesota. In 1989, she graduated from Hinckley High School. Shortly thereafter, she had her daughter Samantha and her son Matt. In 1992, she met Jeff Leibel and the two were married in July of 1993. Mary gained Jeff’s two sons Travis and Tyler. Mary went to college to get her associates degree as an Administrative Assistant. She held various jobs as a secretary throughout her career with her last job being at Alion Science in Grantsburg, Wisconsin for 10 years. Mary and Jeff raised their family on a farm north of Rush City. They not only raised their children, but also raised crops. Mary was an avid gardener and loved her animals, especially her chickens. She had currently expanded her flock and chicken coops to make room for her growing hobby. She loved her chickens so much they would follow her around and she even had names for them! Mary put so much love, thought, time and money into her gardens inside and outside each summer. She could grow anything! Including a cactus meant to live in Mexico in the horrid Minnesota winters. Mary was a wife, a mom, a grandma and a friend. She would help anyone who was struggling and she always had a clean room and hot meal for those in need. Some days the house felt like a hotel with all the people she would take in and try to help, just as long as they were willing to work for it. She had a loud crazy laugh. She loved spending time with her family and friends enjoying cook outs on her patio at the end of the day. Mary loved her kids and grandkids; thoroughly enjoying time spent time with each of them. They all lovingly called her “nana”. Mary is survived by her; husband Jeff Leibel; children Sam (Casey) Sauter, Matt (Aunica) Bialka, Travis (Holly) Leibel and Tyler Leibel; four grandchildren: Wesley, Axel, Abel and Izlee all of Rush City; mother Irma Morantes-Lopez of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico; sisters Veronica Salazar of Brownsville, Texas and Patricia Lopez of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico and their families; father-in-law David Leibel of Rush City and mother-in-law Mary Leibel of Bloomington. She is preceded in death by her father Manuel Renteria Rojas and her brother Jaime Renteria Lopez. Reverend Conrad Warner officiated a celebration of Mary’s life will be at 2:00 PM Thursday, September 22, 2016 at the Olson Funeral Chapel in Rush City. A time of visitation and reviewal will take place from 5:00 - 7:00 PM Wednesday, September 21 also at the Olson Funeral Chapel. The interment will take place at the Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Rush City. Funeral arrangements for Mary Leibel-Gonzalez of Rush City are entrusted to the Funeral and Cremation Service of Rush City ~ Olson Chapel. www.funeralandcremationservice.com