Mary Janice Morrissey Roan was born on the family farm near Weller, Monroe County on Dec. 23, 1932. She was the third of six children born to John and Monica (Barron) Morrissey. She attended country school and graduated as salutatorian from Lovilia High School in 1950.
Mary was employed at the Iowa Veterans Hospital in Knoxville. Mary met her future husband, Jim Roan, at Creighton University’s 1953 homecoming dance. This fateful event was a blind date arranged by her cousin, Maureen Sullivan. Mary and Jim were married on July 30, 1955 at St. Peter’s in Lovilia. Mary worked at the Veterans Hospital in Iowa City while Jim attended Iowa Law School. Mary and Jim moved to Tama-Toledo in 1958 where they lived until her death on May 2, 2025.
