Mary Lea Freedlund

Mary Lea (Kauffman) Freedlund passed away in her home at Wesley Willows in Rockford, Illinois, with her husband wishing her Godspeed to Heaven after a long illness. She was born the daughter of Harry Lee Kauffman and Grace Myrtle (Steely) Kauffman on November 13, 1930 in Waterloo, Iowa. She graduated from West High School in Waterloo. Mary Lea attended Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota for two years before finishing her degree in Dietetics at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. After graduating, Mary Lea completed her internship at Hines Veterans Hospital in Chicago before moving to Rockford to start her professional career at Rockford Memorial Hospital.

In 1954, Mary Lea met Donald Freedlund, the love of her life, on a blind date. On August 31, 1957, she and Donald were married in Waterloo, Iowa and went on to celebrate 63 anniversaries together. Over the next seven years, Mary Lea and Don were blessed with their three children, Craig Allen, Jane Ellen, and Richard Lee Freedlund.

After the children were enrolled in school, Mary Lea taught organic chemistry to student nurses at St. Anthony’s Hospital, served as staff dietitian at the Lawson Home, and ended her career as the Dietetics Manager at H. Douglas Singer Mental Health Center.

Mary Lea was an active member of First Presbyterian Church, a board member of Protestant Community Services, a Rotary Fellow, and a Girl Scout leader. For many years, she and Don hosted a variety of exchange students from around the world in their home, welcoming individuals of different cultures and faiths, and making them feel welcome, and even becoming surrogate grandparents for the children of some of those students. In particular, Don and Mary Lea became Mitra Mohabbat’s “second parents” after immigrating from Iran, and Mitra remains to this day their “second daughter.”

Mary Lea and Don traveled the country and the world together throughout the years, by car and camper, plane, ship and train. Mary Lea enjoyed exploring the country with her family when they were younger, and after the children left home, she and Donald traveled the world, visiting Europe, Asia, South America and Australia. She enjoyed fishing with her family, often catching bigger fish and more fish than her husband and sons. On one trip to Alaska, she caught two large halibut, despite having a paralyzed right hand from polio that afflicted her in her teens, and had her picture published in the Rockford Register Star with her catch.

Mary Lea is predeceased by her parents and her daughter, Jane Ellen Ostrom. She is survived by her husband, Donald, her brother, Craig Kauffman (Pat), her son, Craig Allen Freedlund (Mary), son, Richard Lee Freedlund, grandsons, Eric Ostrom and Max Freedlund, and granddaughters Hanna Freedlund, Rachel Ostrom, and Haley Freedlund, as well as nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial gift to the: Wisconsin Parkinson’s Association, 16655 W. Bluemound Road, Suite 330, Brookfield, Wisconsin 53005.