Mary Gean Strause of Rock Island, Illinois, passed away peacefully on her 90th birthday, November 3, 2026, surrounded by her loving family and looking forward to seeing Jesus.

Visitation will be held Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home in Rock Island, Illinois. All are invited to attend a Rosary at 1:00 p.m., with public visitation resuming from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday, November 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Rock Island, Illinois. Burial will follow at Calvary Mausoleum, with a luncheon immediately afterward.

Born Mary Gean Ebel in Rock Island, Illinois, to Anna Gean Cools and William Eble, she was later adopted after her parent’s divorce by her maternal grandparents, Charles and Mary Cools, and on April 17, 1942, and her name was changed to Mary Gean Cools. Her roots in Rock Island ran deep, with generations of her family having lived in the same neighborhood, some of whom remain there today.

She attended St. Joseph's Grade School and graduated from Alleman High School in 1954 as part of it’s first full graduating class. There she formed lifelong friendships with three classmates affectionately known as “The Four Marys”: Mary Jo (Hewitt) Kline, Mary Rose (McGee) Kerres, and Mary JoAnne (Carlin) Goodwin. Mary Gean especially looked forward to the monthly lunches their Alleman group continued to enjoy on the first Tuesday of every month.

It was through her love of dancing that she met her first husband, Raymond Marolf. They married on February 9, 1957, at St. Mary's Church, and were blessed with four children: David, James, Michael, and the long-awaited daughter, Pamela. Raymond built a beautiful brick home for their family on a piece of land adjacent to her family's homes, and they raised their children where her family had lived for generations. She also worked at The Rock Island Bank as a Safe Deposit Box Attendant for 10 years.

Mary Gean was blessed to find love again with her second husband, Richard Strause. They were married on February 18, 1984, and enjoyed their lives together with their families until his passing in December 1995.

Music and dancing were a part of Mary Gean's life from an early age. She played the accordion, saxophone, and clarinet, performing with both the Alleman and Tommy Thompson bands. She also had a competitive side and was a bit of a card shark. There was always room for another game and, just as importantly, good company.

Mary Gean loved to shop, spending countless hours at garage sales and thrift stores, where she tirelessly rescued discarded things and turned them into beloved finds. She also loved to talk on the phone, often hopping from one call to another for hours, chatting about anything and everything with the many friends she held dear.

Above all, Mary Gean cherished her family. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren deeply and her schedule was always full of helping care for family. Her love extended well beyond her own family though, as children throughout her life came to know her as simply “Nana”. It was a name she earned through the love, kindness, and care she freely gave to those around her.

Mary Gean was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Rock Island, Illinois.

Those left to cherish her memory include her Children: David (Liz) Marolf, James (Kerry) Marolf, Michael Marolf, and Pamela (Mark) Ernat; Grandchildren: Joshua (Ashley) Marolf, Jennifer Marolf, Kathryn Strause Reyes, Anna Marolf, and Timothy Marolf; Great-grandchildren: Kierra Strause, Noah Strause, Bella Solis, Evalyn Strause, and John James Solis; Father of Her Children: Raymond Marolf

Preceded in death by Birth Parents: Anna Gean Cools-Pepping and William Eble; Adoptive Grandparents: Charles and Mary Cools; Husband: Richard Strause; Half-brothers: Alan and Steven Pepping; and her Daughter-In-Law, Myra Marolf.

A special thank you to Mary Rose Kerres and Lorraine Krause for sharing their memories and contributing to the writing of Mary Gean's memorial. Her legacy lives on in the many lives she touched and the generations of family and friends who will carry her memory forward.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital