Olive (Murley) Neumann

Mona Neumann (born Olive Ramona Murley), age 93 of Lake City, MN, left this world on Sunday, October 31, 2021, after a brief illness. She had her bags packed and was ready to go on a pleasure trip to northern Minnesota, but instead she took life’s ultimate journey to be with her Lord and Savior, and to be with her beloved husband again at last.

Olive Ramona, daughter of Thomas and Martha (Shaw) Murley, was born at home in Pine Island, MN, on July 15, 1928. She graduated from Janesville (Iowa) High School, where she met the love of her life, Carl Neumann. They were married in 1947 at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. They raised a family of three children, all of whom survive her.

She was a loving homemaker. She was a talented home decorator and may have been one of the original house flippers. One realtor encouraged her to rent the homes he was marketing, so she could redecorate and stage them, after which they easily sold. At last count, she and Carl had lived in at least 24 different houses.

The coffee pot was always on in her kitchen, and she never was without a sweet treat to accompany the brew. She loved backyard bird watching, card playing, mowing the lawn, and planting beautiful flower gardens. She was a fan of soap operas. According to her husband, she was the best cook around. She was able to travel widely, including trips to Jamaica, Peru, and Venezuela. She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Lake City.

She was widowed in 2009. She was able to care for her husband, who battled Parkinson’s disease and dementia in his last years. What a love those two shared.

She is survived by her son, James, her daughters Janet (Jeff) Chestnut and Julie DiFrank, as well as two grandsons, Tyler, and Peter Chestnut. Her living siblings include Richard (Betty) Murley, Faye Renner, and David Murley. She has many surviving nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Martha Murley, her brother James in WWII, and her brother Tom.

A private family service will be held at a later date. It is her wish to have her cremains placed in the Scattering Garden at the German Burial Ground near Waterloo, Iowa. Donations in memory of Mona may be sent to First Lutheran Church in Lake City, MN.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com.