Mary Bill (Williams) Hatch

Mary Bill (Williams) Hatch passed peacefully at the Mayflower Community Health Center in Grinnell on Jan. 23 with her daughter and husband at her side. Mary loved the beauty of Nature and the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico were home. She saw beauty out her window every day, and thrilled at the trees and especially the sunshine. She was an excellent and prolific artist (http://marillhatch.blogspot.com/).

She became a minister for the United Church of Christ later in life and love writing thought provoking sermons with an academic interface with poetry and writings from many sources.  She retired from Riceville UCC, in Riceville, and we very grateful for her experience with those sweet people that honored and loved her so. Other callings included New Hampton and Ionia, and several locations in Kansas.

She also participated in singing choirs most of her life and sang most recently with the Charles City Singers.

Mary Hatch was born Aug. 3, 1936 in Tulsa, Okla., but lived most of her youth in Canadian, Texas. She graduated with the Class of 1955. She moved and traveled extensively around North American continent following her husband in pursuit of oil (he was a geophysicist). They would have been married 59 years on Jan. 26, 2017.

Mary is survived by her husband, Robert Hatch; daughter, DeAnna Hatch; and two grandchildren, Luke Haynes and Micala Smith. She was preceded in death by her son, Merle Michael Hatch.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 29, 2017 in the Carmen Center at Mayflower Community. In lieu of flowers, memorials may go to Mayflower Community, Inc. (616 Broad Street, Grinnell, IA 50112) to help cover expenses.