Mary Ellen Dwire, age 79, of Lakeville, Minnesota passed away on January 17, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Born on March 26, 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Herman and Josephine Ott. Mary was beloved by her family and friends.

Mary was a child of God. She grew up in West Bend, Wisconsin where she attended West Bend High School. Following high school, she worked at the Cradle in Evanston, Illinois before attending school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she met the love of her life, Kenneth (Ken) Dwire.

On April 1, 1967, she and Ken married and moved to their first home in south Minneapolis. Ken and Mary purchased their home in Lakeville, Minnesota in 1973, where they lived and raised their family for fifty-two (52) years.

After being a stay-at-home mother for many years, she worked a variety of jobs including waitressing, playground attendant at JFK Elementary, and at both Grist Mill and Arden's Foods before ultimately becoming a home healthcare aide, wherein she cared for Sarah for twenty-five (25) years before retirement. She took great pride in her work for Sarah's family and was welcomed as a part of their family as well.

Mary also took great pride in being both a mother and a grandmother to her six (6) grandchildren, never missing an opportunity to attend a football game, a dance competition, or a wrestling match. Mary loved children and animals dearly. She loved to play the organ, read, travel and experience new things, as well as her dogs Homer, Sophie and Mandy. Mary also loved to volunteer at Mission Outpost at Prince of Peace Church where she attended for many years. Ken and Mary also loved spending time at their trailer on the river in Red Wing for twenty (20) years before Ken passed away in 2012.

Mary is survived by her two (2) children Sandra (husband Mike) Willett, Todd (wife Mindy) Dwire; her grandchildren Kirsten Olson, Shane Olson, Cole Olson, Karlie Olson, Garrett Dwire, and Isabelle Dwire; her siblings Robert ("Bob") Ott (wife Linda), Patricia Holmes (husband Chip), and Nancy Sutterfield (husband Roy); as well as her many nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved and adored.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband Kenneth and her parents Herman and Josephine Ott.

A celebration of Mary's life will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Prince of Peace Church in Burnsville, Minnesota, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. A lunch will be held at Prince of Peace following the service.

White Funeral Home 952-469-2723

Condolences at: www.whitefuneralhomes.com