Ann MacGregor Obituary

Ann MacGregor

August 8, 1934 - October 2, 2024

Ann Elizabeth Macgregor, age 90, died peacefully on October 2 at Court Manor Nursing Home in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Her life will be celebrated on Saturday, November 30, at the First Presbyterian Church in Mason City, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m. with a service and luncheon to follow. The Rev. Paul Collier will officiate.

Ann MacGregor was born at home, in South Bend, Indiana on August 8, 1934, the daughter of Elizabeth and Henning Roden. She lived in South Bend until she left to enter the University of Michigan School of Nursing. She graduated with a B.S.N. in 1956 and was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. Until 1960, she was involved in nursing administration and clinical teaching in South Bend and San Fransisco.

From 1960 through 1966, Ann was part of the nursing staff with Project HOPE. The ship HOPE traveled worldwide, training medical personnel and providing health care to the people of Indonesia, Vietnam, Peru, Ecuador, Guinea, and Nicaragua. She was Chief Nurse during the voyage to Nicaragua.

Ann married John K. MacGregor on December 27, 1966, and moved to Mason City. After arriving, Ann became involved with the Migrant Action Program. Her knowledge of Spanish was invaluable in her role as a public health nurse for the program.

In 1980, Ann collaborated with area physicians and community members to develop a program to care for people with terminal illnesses. For the next twenty years, she served as the Executive Director of Hospice of North Iowa. In addition to caring for patients and families in their homes, she and her team of dedicated staff opened the first freestanding inpatient hospice unit in Iowa. She always said that working for Hospice of North Iowa was never a job, it was a privilege.

Ann served as President of the Iowa Hospice Organization. She was also elected to the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Board of Directors for six years and served as board President for two years.

A few years after retiring from Hospice of North Iowa, she became a part of the effort to restore the world's last remaining Frank Lloyd Wright hotel. She served as the Executive Director of Wright on the Park. Ann was proud of the restoration of this architectural treasure and its positive impact on Mason City. She often referenced how people from all fifty states and seventy-five foreign countries have stayed there.

Ann was a dedicated and committed volunteer for many organizations. She was active in Rotary, the Macnider Art Museum, and was a member of PEO Chapter DZ. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church serving as an Elder and was active in many aspects of church life.

Ann was a wonderful cook and hostess. Her flower gardens were always beautiful. She loved cross-country skiing, particularly on the North Shore of MN. She rode her bicycle thousands of miles: numerous RAGBRAIs, the IA 150 ride across the country, and the highways of North Iowa. Her goal in life was to always keep "turning the crank."

Ann's life and spirit are celebrated by surviving family members who were always central to her life:

John MacGregor and wife Sue, Paul MacGregor and wife Barbara, Laurie MacGregor and husband Guillermo Cuellar, Katie MacGregor and husband Alan Furth, Andrew MacGregor and wife Sally.

Grandchildren: Sarah Hays, Brian MacGregor, Katie Lervick, Jay MacGregor, Carlos and Alana Cuellar, Paul Vinzani, Peter and Molly MacGregor, and great-grandchildren Bjorn and Anna Lervick, and Elsa and Alma MacGregor.

Ann is also survived by nieces Beth Anne George, Kim Green, Julie Deahl, and nephew John Roden.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, John K. MacGregor, and her parents, Elizabeth and Henning Roden.

Instead of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Project HOPE, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, or the First Presbyterian Church.