Mary Elizabeth Moline

Mary Elizabeth Moline, age 69, of Austin, Minnesota, passed away peacefully of a broken heart on Monday, December 25, 2023, at her home in Austin. Mary was born to James and Marjorie (Doud) Bendixen on August 5, 1954, in Albert Lea. Growing up she attended Albert Lea High school. Following high school, she attended Austin Technical College earning an associate degree in marketing management.  During her time at Austin Technical College, she met the love of her life Charles “Chuck” Moline. On August 10, 1974, she and Chuck were married, and they were blessed with two wonderful daughters, Stephanie and Suzanne.

Mary began her retail career working at Wallace’s in downtown Austin and then she was a manager at Anderson Fashions in Oak Park Mall. Later she was hired by Lloyd Peterson to be a sales associate at Scovill’s Jewelry in downtown Austin where she turned a part time job into a 20-year career. She continually expanded her horizons with the GIA diamond grading and colored stone schooling.  When Scovill’s closed in 1996 she weighed her options and decided in 1997 to open a jewelry business of her own known as Bendixen Jewelry.  There were many female jewelers at that time, but Mary was the first female jeweler in Austin, MN.  Over the past 24 years Mary had the opportunity to work with her youngest daughter Suzanne and mentor her in the jewelry business. Mary was extremely proud of Suzanne for her hard work and dedication to the business and knew that she would continue her legacy for many years to come.      

In Mary’s free time she loved going to the lake.  Her love for the lake began at a very young age as her parents had a cabin that they later turned into a home on Goodrich Lake in northern MN.  Mary in turn shared her love of the lake with Chuck and her girls which they shared with their families, and it created many, many years of lake memories for all that will be cherished forever.  Mary loved spending time with her four grandchildren.  She was their Geema/GeeGee.  Just like Chuck the grandchildren brought them so much joy and being grandparents was the greatest title they ever received.  

Chuck and Mary had a relationship that is hard to find these days. They were best friends and loved each other so much. They were always together and as Mary used to say, “Can’t beat fun” and they didn’t. Chuck and Mary accomplished so much but at the end of the day the most important thing is family and they always put family first. Their endless love for one another can now continue in heaven. 

Survivors include her daughters, Stephanie (Tom) Grotbo and Suzanne Schmidt; four grandchildren, Jordyn and Nicholas Grotbo, and Nathan and Olivia Schmidt; mother-in-law, Marie Moline; siblings-in-law, Jeffrey (Terrance Franklin) Moline and Steve (Shelly) Moline; niece, Elizabeth Moline; sister, Linda Andersen; nephews, Steve (Sue) Andersen, Paul (Denise) Andersen and many great nieces, nephews, and cousins and her very best friend Rena Langowski, and her jewelry store security guard dog, Nala. She was preceded in death by the love of her life Chuck, her parents; father-in-law, George Moline; and brother-in-law, Oluf Andersen.