Mary Birnbaum

Mary Generose Birnbaum, 79, of Breckenridge, MN, formerly of Hankinson, ND, passed away on Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo, ND.  Visitation will on Thursday, April 21, 2022, from 5 pm - 7 pm followed by a prayer service at 7 pm at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home in Wahpeton, ND. Visitation will continue on Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10 am - 11 am followed by her Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am, at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wahpeton. Fr. Dale Lagodinski will officiate the service.   A livestream of her service will be available on her obituary page on the funeral home’s website. Burial will be held at a later date in Calvary Cemetery in Hankinson, ND.  Arrangements have been entrusted to Vertin-Munson Funeral Home.

Mary Generose Hamm was born on August 14, 1942, near New Effington, SD, to William and Monica (Hannasch) Hamm.  She grew up and attended schools near and in New Effington.  After graduating, she joined the Army and was honorably discharged in 1963.  Mary had her son, Joe, and she entrusted him to a family who raised him. Over the next few years, she made her home in Sioux Falls, SD, Aberdeen, SD, and Minneapolis, MN, before returning home to help her dad on the farm.  In the summer of 1967, she met Ted Birnbaum and they married that November, making their home on a farm south of Hankinson ND.  In 1992, they moved to Wahpeton. Ted passed away in 2003.

Mary is survived by her 5 children, Joe, of River Falls, WI, Pat (Stefanie) of Breckenridge, MN, Greg (Terese) of Bismarck, ND, Katie (Arlyn Schumacher) of Foxhome, MN, and Al (Amy) of Milaca, MN; 16 grandchildren; many nieces and nephews, and two brothers-in-law, Alvin Zietlow and Francis Birnbaum.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Ted Birnbaum; parents, William and Monica Hamm; and siblings, Kathleen, Barbara, Dennis, John, and James.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Mary to your favorite local charity.