Mary Ann Geenen

Mary Ann Geenen was born in January 1947, in Evergreen Park, Ill., to Frank and Helen (Liegenfeld) Toth. She graduated from Calumet High School in 1965 and attended American School of Beauty Culture in downtown Chicago, Ill.
Mary Ann met the love of her life at an A&W Root Beer stand in Blue Island, Ill. Phil Geenen pulled up in his 1964 GTO and a 57-year romance began. They married July 26, 1967, before Phil left for Vietnam. Upon his safe return they lived in Chicago until a vacation to the Black Hills of South Dakota changed their city life forever. Phil and Mary Ann decided to pack up their two daughters, Ellie and Carrie, a dog, Meggie, two cats, Pyewacket and Fuzzy, and move to Custer, S.D., in 1978.
She held several different jobs in the area, including working at The Chief Restaurant, Custer State Hospital, Kelly Drug and Carson Drug until rheumatoid arthritis made her retire at an early age. She was a member of Beta, Young Homemakers and a January Birthday Club. Mary Ann and Phil loved to take their camper van and camp all around this beautiful country.
In 1986, Mary Ann had another love enter her life. Her beloved canine companion, Dundee, was always by her side. They loved taking walks and sitting on the deck watching birds, deer, turkey, squirrels and chipmucks playing around her pond. He kept her young and active. When he crossed the Rainbow Bridge, a piece of her left also.
In 2009 when Phil retired they had hoped they would be able to travel and visit other states, but it was getting harder and harder for her to get around. Phil and Mary Ann could then be found on one of their weekly visits to Deadwood, sitting at their favorite machines and playing in the slot tournaments. Her luck was legendary.
In July of 2017 Phil and Mary Ann celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with all their family and friends. The last few years were very hard because of her health and even a trip to Deadwood got to be too much. Phil took amazing and loving care of her until the very end.
Mary Ann  passed away Feb. 19, 2022, at her residence in Custer with her family around her. She was 75.
She is survived by her beloved husband, Phil of Custer; daughters, Ellie (Jeff McGraw) Douglas and   grandsons, Zach and Wyatt of Custer,; Carrie (Wes) Wood and grandsons Corbin and Quintin and granddaughter Elise of Belle Fourche, S.D.; sisters, Joellen Toth of Evergreen Park, Ill., and Mindy (Roger) Weber of Custer; nephew, Todd (Belinda) Weber of Austin, Texas; a  brother; a 63-year friendship with Penny Bonnar and family of  of Onalaska, Wis.; and dear friends, Joe and Sherry Steichen of Pea Ridge, Ark.  
The family requests that donations be made in Mary Ann’s memory to Operation Black Hills Cabin, PO Box 855, Custer, SD, 57730 or donor’s choice.
A Celebration of Mary Ann’s life will be held at a later date.  
Arrangements have been placed in the care of Chamberlain McColley’s Funeral Home in Custer.   Condolences may be left at chamberlainmccolleys.com.