Mary Steinhauser

Mary (Peg) Margaret Steinhauser was born July 6, 1944, to John (Jack) and Margaret (Dolly) Hanson. She grew up on an island on the border of the U.S. and Canada, with no electricity or running water. Her father was an Air Force officer who flew over 50 combat missions in the European and Asian theaters of WWII.
As she grew older, she was responsible not only for the housekeeping and general maintenance of the family hunting and fishing resort, but also as a fishing and moose hunting guide. In 1964, the U.S. government bought the land, to create Quetico National Park, and the Hanson family had to purchase land and re-build a new resort in Canada. She went to college at University of Minnesota, Duluth, where she graduated with a double major in English and History.
In 1967 she was introduced to her future husband, Roland, by his best friend and fraternity brother. They were married in Chicago on February 1, 1969, and had four daughters, Karen (deceased), Phyllis, Rebecca and Katherine. Later on, the Steinhauser family moved to Evergreen Park, where Peg was extremely active in the local PTA, Girl Scouting, and the Midwest Muskie Club. In addition to being a homemaker and bookkeeper for the family business, she was also a substitute teacher for the Chicago Public School system and a bus driver for the Worth Township disabled program.
She was a friend, mentor and second mother to many of her children’s’ friends, offering comfort, support, advice and sanctuary to many young people in need.
In 2002 Peg and Rol relocated to Hernando Florida, where she became very active in the Women of the Moose.
Mary M. Steinhauser, 71, of Hernando, FL died on November 9, 2015, at Citrus Memorial Hospital in Inverness, FL.
Mary was preceded in death by her daughter, Karen Margaret, and grandson, Sean O’Keeffe. Survivors include her husband, Roland Steinhauser of Hernando, FL; daughters, Phyllis Steinhauser (Rodney Sweet) of Chicago, IL, Rebecca Quinn of Chesterton, IN, and Katherine Erhardt (Michael) of Chicago Ridge, IL; brother, John M. Hanson of Virginia, MN; and grandchildren, Kimberly and Georgia Erhardt of Chicago Ridge, IL, and Ian and Kathleen Quinn of Chesterton, IN.
A memorial service will be held at the Moose Lodge #2112 in Inverness, FL, on Thursday, November 12, 2015, at 3:00.
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