M ary Katherine Hill, daughter of Dennis and Rose (Kercher) McCarthy, was born on the homestead south of Burke on February 19, 1917.  She was baptized into the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burke.  She passed away July 19, 2016 at the Avera Rosebud Country Care Center in Gregory, South Dakota at the age of 99 years.

Mary attended school through the eighth grade.  She worked for the Blake Store in Jamison, Nebraska until a member of the church told her about Kansas City needing maids.  She left South Dakota and worked as a maid, saving every penny.  She bought a house with lots of rooms and rented out the upstairs rooms.  She also worked at an Army Bomber plant, never missing a day, even when she hurt her leg.  She was called Mary the Riveter.  She had different jobs until she met Virgil Hill at MeadWestVaco.

Mary and Virgil were married June 4, 1960 in Kansas City.  They had no children.  After they both retired from MeadWestVaco, they decided to move back to Burke, South Dakota in 1989.

Mary was a very hard worker.  She would climb trees to pick fruit or get up on the roof to set up decorations.  She suffered a stroke in 2002 and was limited to her abilities.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Virgil; her parents; her sisters: Minnie (Chris) Lauritsen and Anna (Lloyd) Howlett; her brothers: John, Daniel, William, Alfred (Ella), Francis, Donald, Joseph, Michael (Cecelia), and Patrick (Vera); a niece, Janet McCarthy and a nephew, Larry McCarthy.

Mary is survived by her sisters-in-law: Velma McCarthy of Jefferson, IA and Sophie McCarthy of New Port, NE, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 10:30 AM at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burke.  Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery, Burke.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church.