Mary Katherine Liesenfeld Boran passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 2nd, 2021 at St.John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN. She was 73 years old.
Mary was born on November 26th, 1947 in St. Paul to Arthur and Virginia (Pariseau) Liesenfeld. She was the second of six children. She graduated from Archbishop Murray High School in 1965, and went on to attend the University of Minnesota.
Upon marrying Dave Boran in 1979, Mary, the St. Paul girl, traded in her high heels for a parka and warm boots, and settled in the north woods of the Brainerd Lakes area, which she learned to love and proudly call home for more than 40 years. Mary spent her years raising her children, running her custom picture frame-shop and volunteering with numerous organizations in Brainerd, including Mother Mentors and Kinship Partners. She served on the school board of St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School, and was instrumental in establishing the annual fund-raising dinner for the St. Francis Catholic School Foundation. In her later years she was a dedicated volunteer and artist at the Crossing Arts Alliance.
When not busy tending to her children or framing artwork, Mary’s interests were vast. From creating her own art with baubles and jewelry, or crafting whimsical fairies from wool, her creative eye was always perceiving beauty in the ordinary. Outside of the home, her flowers and beloved fairy garden were a delight shared with the community. Serving as ‘fairy godmother’ to the space was her joy, as was chatting with neighbors and visitors alike. She was a gracious hostess, welcoming one and all for friendly conversation and a seat at her table. Her playful spirit was beloved by her grandchildren, who enjoyed being with her for games, crafts, giggles and pretend. Throughout her life she was lucky enough to visit many wonderful places with family and friends, but always truly appreciated the comforts of home and her cozy bed.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Virginia. Left to cherish her memory is her husband of 42 years, Dr. David Boran; son, Troy (Kim) Lanoux; daughters, Katherine (Greg) Aitchison, Kelsey (Tim) Roth, and Jennifer Boran; beloved grandchildren, Katelyn, Nick, and Jack Lanoux, Mary, Piper, Zoe and Blaise Aitchison, Noah, Louie and Heidi Roth; siblings, Colleen (Dave) Moline, Rick (Cathy) Liesenfeld, Jim (Colleen) Liesenfeld, Diane (Dave) Brady and Laurie (Jeff) Olsen. In addition, she leaves behind a vast number of family and friends who have been so very supportive of her in her health struggles over the years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 7, 2021 at St. Francis Catholic Church in Brainerd. Family and friends are invited to gather one hour prior to Mass at the church and Thursday evening from 5-7 p.m. at Nelson – Doran Funeral Home. Interment will take place at Evergreen.
Live streaming of the Mass will be available at www.blccnorth.org.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Mary Katherine (Liesenfeld) Boran, please visit our floral store.