Mary Davenport

Mary Davenport, 83, of Okoboji passed away on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at her home in Okoboji. A graveside service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, June 8, 2018 in the Lake View Gardens Cemetery in Spirit Lake. Mary Josephine Chastka was born May 30, 1935 in Tyndall, SD to Anton Chastka and Emma Marie Pletka. Mary graduated from Tyndall High School and went to Mt. Marty College in Yankton, SD. When she was a junior in college she entered the Benedictine Order of Sisters, one year as a novice and one year as a postulant, taking her vows in 1957. She graduated from Mt. Marty College and entered Notre Dame University in Indiana graduating with a Masters Degree in Business Administration. While serving in the Benedictine Order she taught music, worked in the Accounting / Business Office, and acted as a recruiter for Mt. Marty College. She left the Benedictine Order on June 18, 1974 and was united in marriage to Ray Davenport on June 26, 1974 in St. Louis, MO. Ray preceded her in death on August 31, 2008. During her married life she lived in Yankton, SD and worked with her husband Ray in the Sacred Heart Catholic Parish Religious Program. They later relocated to Sioux Falls, SD and worked for the Sioux Falls Catholic Diocese Religious Education Department and eventually for the Department for Funding and Diocesan Appeal. They then moved to Des Moines, IA where they worked for the Diocese of Des Moines Development Program. Upon retiring, they moved to the Spirit Lake, IA area where they became avid followers of the “Dave Majors and the Minors” band enjoying many evenings with the band and friends. After Ray passed on, she worked in the community as a Home Health Care provider for several companies, meals on wheels, doing friendship calls, responding to Red Cross Blood Donor calls, ect. until she retired in 2017. Mary’s hobbies were listening to music, reading library books and watching selected T.V. programs. Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Ray Davenport, her parents, her brothers, Ralph Chastka and Anthony Chastka. Survivors include her sister’s-in-law, Beth Chastka (Balimore, MD); and Estrella “Till” Davenport Tehrenbacher (St. Louis, MO); numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is also survived by good friends Ken Sly of Platte, SD; Sr. Teccla Holzbauer, Sacred Heart Covent, Yankton, SD; Brigid Flannagan, Lee’s Summit, MO; Chuck and Joyce Edwards and family of Sioux Falls, SD; and many, many friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mary’s name and sent to Iowa Public Television or to the Catholic Bishop Northern Alaska, at 1316 Peger Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709.

Mary Davenport

May 30, 1935 - February 3, 2018