Mary Carolyn Davis

Mary Davis of Pine City and Hinckley passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2023 at Elderwood of Hinckley at the age of 94.

Mary Carolyn Fix was born April 8, 1929 to John and Dorothy (Schnetter) Fix in Hinckley, Minnesota.

In 1940, at 11 years old  Mary had her first job for 50 cents an evening taking care of Pearl & Max Gebhart.  Over the years Mary cleaned for many different families earning 50 cents a day.  She could keep a third of her wages until she was out on her own. In 1945, in the spring after school was out her parents hired and paid her $10 to paint the house.  Using the money, she earned painting the house she left for St. Paul where she worked at a manufacturing job for 65 cents an hour.  Mary decided not to return to school in the fall and worked at the manufacturing job until 1947.  She was paying $8 a week for a room she shared with a girl from Amery, Wisconsin.  Every week Mary sent $7 to her mother.

As Mary prepared for her wedding to Elmer Klar, she put a wedding dress and veil costing $79 on layaway.  Mary and Elmer were married on November 4,1947.  Mary was a saver and had enough money in her checking account to pay for an electric stove, blue & white enamel table and chairs, davenport and matching chair when they moved from Sandstone to Hinckley in April of 1948.  Mary continued cleaning houses and worked various jobs over the years: Ma’s Kitchen, A&W, Fingerhut, Lees Apron Factory, she even did road flagging on Hwy. 48 for a construction company.

In 1981, Mary was working jobs at Tobies, Cassidy’s and Best Western until she married Jim Davis in October of 1986.  In July of 1987, she attended a Homemaker/Home Health Aide class earning a certificate from Pine Technical Institute Extension Training services.  Upon completion of the course, she was employed with Pine County Nursing Service as a home health aide until her retirement in 2007 at the age of 79.

Mary is survived by her children David (Sue) Klar of Hinckley, Elmer Klar of Stacy, Dale Klar (Tammy Larson) of Hinckley, Darrel Klar of Hinckley, Mary Kay (Richard) Cottrell of Mora; 18 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; siblings Josephine Knutson of Apple Valley, Margaret Plasek of Pine City, Dorothy Vavra of LeCenter; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents John and Dorothy Fix; husbands Elmer Klar and Jim Davis; sons Larry Klar and Arnold Klar; grandson Steven Klar; granddaughter Kimberly Klar; great-granddaughter Mackenzie Klar; great-grandson Dylan Haines; siblings Katherine Engels, William Fix, Regina Helmbrecht, Ray Fix, Joseph Fix, John Fix.

Father Joseph Sirba will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Mary: 11 AM; Friday, September 22, 2023 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Hinckley. A time of visitation and reviewal is planned from 5-8 PM; Thursday (9/21) with a Rosary at 7:30 PM at the Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City and one hour prior to the Mass at the church. The interment will take place at Rosehill Cemetery in Hinckley.

Arrangements are entrusted to the Funeral And Cremation Service of Pine City-Swanson Chapel.
www.FuneralAndCremationService.com