Mary Marie (Seagraves) Hennig left us peacefully in her sleep on Jan. 10, 2008, at age 86 after a long illness at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. A loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she lived 86 wonderful years.
Mary came into the world just after 2 a.m. on May 29, 1921, on the J. Hunter Ranch in Hailey, Idaho. She was born to Hilda Madeline and Israel "Jack" Seagraves. Mary was one of seven children. She grew up in the Wood River Valley, where she spent most of her life as a homemaker.
Mary raised two children, Sharon and David, while married to Paul Sugasa, a businessman from Ermua, Spain. They were later divorced. She remarried in 1969 to well-known Sun Valley ski instructor Andreas Hennig, from Salzburg, Austria, who died in 1993. Together Mary and Andy lived a wonderful life in what they referred to as "God's Country." Mary never tired of raising children and even though her own children were grown, she and Andy took the responsibility of raising her grandson, Mark.
Mary's mother, Madeline, wrote that Mary's first smile was on July 26, 1921, and from that day on, Mary never stopped smiling. With an infectious laugh and a joy of living, she never stopped giving, every day of her life, to those she loved. It was her love of children, especially her grandchildren, and later her great-grandchildren, that kept her young.
Retirement to Twin Falls brought Mary a wealth of new friends and activities. Her love of art and ceramics and her grandchildren are what she cherished most of all. Later in life, Mary lived with her grandson, Mark, and his family. She brought great joy to their home and in turn she received great joy watching his family prosper and grow. Mary would tell you that her greatest accomplishment was "her girls": great-granddaughters Hailey and Nicole—the sparkles in her eye to the end.
Our beloved Gram will be sadly missed and thought of often.
Those surviving Mary include her son, David Sugasa (Lynda) of Imlay, Nev.; daughter, Sharon Danielson; grandsons Mark Danielson (Deborah) of Idaho Falls and Dustin Sugasa (Katie) of Hong Kong; granddaughter, Dawn Sugasa of Columbus, Ohio; great-grandchildren Hailey and Nicole Danielson of Idaho Falls; sister, Dorothy Nenzel of Twin Falls; and brother, Wallace Seagraves of Lovelock, Nev.
Please join us for a celebration of Mary's life in one of the most beautiful places on earth—join us in "God's Country" during the week of what would have been her 87th birthday. The family is planning a memorial service at the Ketchum Cemetery on Friday, May 30, followed by a gathering of family and friends that afternoon in Sun Valley.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her name to the Safe Haven Rescue Zoo, Box 184, Imlay, NV 89418. The Web site is: http://www.safehavenwildlife.com/donate.html
Local arrangements are under the care of Wood River Chapel of Hailey (www.woodriverchapel.com).
