Mary Arlene (Laas) Bain passed away peacefully and surrounded by love on May 22, 2022, at her home in Ness City, KS surrounded by love. She was born on April 4, 1931, to Jacob and Mary (Schneider) Laas in Utica, KS and was the youngest of 11 children. Mary was a 1949 graduate of Ness City High School and shortly after graduation married Donald L. Bain in July 1949 & had six children.
Throughout her life, Mary had many achievements including becoming a Realtor for Coldwell Banker in the mid 1980s. She worked for the Ness County Treasurers Office, Ness County Hospital in Medical Records, and the Ness City Public Library and was an active & avid member/supporter of the United Methodist Church, the Ness County Historical Museum, and the Gradatim Club. To know Mary was to value the appreciation of joy she found in simplicity; a call or visit from family or friends, listening to favorite hymns or reading her Bible and spending hours outside, especially in her gardens - which if you ever had the pleasure of seeing, was like stepping into a Better Homes & Gardens magazine (but better than Martha Stewart, as mom would say). In 2016, Mary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease which she fought bravely & forcefully until the very end. She did not lose the battle against this enemy; she became the Victor of Freedom over its debilitation, never wavering from her faith or allowing her strength/mind succumb to such defeat.
Mary was the epitome of a matriarch, the literal glue that bound her family together and will leave a tremendous void in all that loved and knew her. She leaves behind her wonderful children; Debbie (Bain) Gravenstein, Ness City; Mark (Lora) Bain, Brownell; Craig (Carol) Bain, Ness City; Ghoni Bain, Ness City and Stacy Bain, Ness City, her 12incredible grandchildren; Alexa Bain, Ness City; Jessica (Timothy) Speno, Hays; Matthew (Shelby) Bain, Scott City; Joseph (Shaudel) Bain, Hays; Clint (Lucia) Bain, Ness City; Jed Bain, Wichita; Joshua (Vicky) Bain, Castle Rock, CO; Ashleigh (Landon) Harper, Eudora; Dustin (Cassandra) Bain, Shawnee; Audrey (Tyler) Ruder, Wichita; Nina & Jonah Bain, Newport, OR, and 25 extraordinary great-grandchildren; Anna, Maggie, Isabella, Henry, Augustus, Isaac, Josephine, James, Ella, Ansleigh, Liam, Peter, Leo, Rudy, Patrick, Bernadette, Matthew, Levi, Kallie, Jaelynn, Emmersyn, Jaxson, Avery, Logan and Miles.
She is preceded in death by her mother and father; 3 sisters and 6 brothers; granddaughter Molly Marie Bain; her son, Shannon Bain; son-in-law, Kris Gravenstein and her forever, loving companion Donald L. Bain.
The family asks donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the Ness City Public Library in memoriam of Mary A. Bain. Funeral services are still pending; please continue to check with Fitzgerald Funeral Home for updates on date, time and location.