Mary Ida (Dull) Villberg

Mary Ida (Dull) Villberg entered her heavenly eternal peace surrounded by her family on November 4, 2018, one day before her 83rd birthday at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester, Iowa. She was born in Mason City as the only child to Herbert and Ruth (Rice) Dull on November 5, 1935. She graduated from St. Joseph Catholic School in Mason City, where she served as editor of the school newspaper. She attended the Chicago Conservatory of Music and sang professionally for weddings and funerals.

Mary married Vello Villberg on October 3, 1959, in Mason City, after a six-week romance. They recently celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Manchester where they raised their six children. 

As the kids were leaving the nest, Mary went back to work running MD Schmidt Transport, which hauled cowhides from Manchester to other parts of the country. When the business was sold, she went to work for Ben Breitbach and then Mark Roeder Law Firm. After retirement, she and Vello traveled to Estonia and around the Midwest to visit their kids.

Mary cherished the “sisters weekends” with her daughters and Bible study at church. She loved any time she could spend with her family. She also enjoyed reading, drinking wine, traveling, and attending social/religious gatherings at First Lutheran Church in Manchester.

On June 29, 2018, Mary was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer. Her stubbornness wouldn’t allow cancer to get the best of her—it was her heart that eventually gave out. Everyone that knows her would say it was from all the love she gave: there wasn’t enough left to keep herself going.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Vello; her children Phyllis (Tom) Cox of Georgetown, Texas; Jeff Villberg of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Ursula (Brent) Yaeggi of Watertown, Wisconsin; Julie (Tom) Frick of Manchester; Victoria (Lee) Swenson of Chaska, Minnesota; and Eerik (Olya) Villberg of New Brighton, Minnesota; 14 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents and son-in-law, Doug Cory. 

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