February 3, 1925 – April 25, 2010


Mary Ellen Dwyer-Hipenbecker, 85, of Waukesha, died at Waukesha Memorial Hospital April 25, 2010. She was born in LaCrosse on February 3, 1925, to Dr. Eugene Herbert and Lillian (nee Johnson) Townsend. Mary Ellen was a graduate of LaCrosse Central High School and University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse with a bachelor’s degree in education. She taught at Butler Middle School for many years. She was a longtime member of P.E.O., WEA and Southminster Presbyterian Church. On September 28, 1996, she married Robert Hipenbecker at Southminster Presbyterian Church.

She will be sadly missed by her husband, Robert of Waukesha; her daughters, Sue (Jerry) Spahn and Jane (Kevin) Allen, both of Waukesha; stepchildren, Greg (Lynn) Hipenbecker of Brookfield, Ron Hipenbecker of Brookfield and Jan (Ron) August of Nashotah. Dear grandmother of Jennifer Woyahn, Katy Allen, Andrew and Sara Caracci, Kim (Kurt) Weber and Rob Hipenbecker and great-grandmother of Katarina Weber. She is further survived by her brothers, the Rev. Allan (Carla) Townsend of LaCrosse and John (Peggy) Townsend of Amherst, Mass., as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Jack Dwyer, in 1977, as well as her parents.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, May 8, from 3 p.m. until the 5 p.m. funeral service at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 200 Richard St. in Waukesha. Private interment will be held at Prairie Home Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to P.E.O. Executive Office Treasurer’s Dept 3700 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312, or to Southminster Presbyterian Church, 200 Richard St. Waukesha, WI 53189.

For further information, please call Randle-Dable Funeral, Cremation and Preplanning Services at 547-4035, or go to www.waukeshafunerals.com to leave an online tribute.