Mary Margaret Ortley, 73, of Browns Valley, SD passed away on February 11, 2018 at Coteau Des Prairies Hospital in Sisseton, SD. Memorial services will be Friday, February 16, 2018 at 3:00 PM at the SWO Community Center in Agency Village, SD. Jr. Heminger will officiate with Kaye Bursheim as the pianist. Honorary pallbearers will be "all of Mary's nieces, nephews, family and friends. Inurnment will be held at a later date. The Cahill Funeral Chapel of Sisseton, SD is in charge of arrangements.

Mary Margaret Ortley who passed rather unexpectedly, was born in the Summer of 1944 to her parents Silas Ortley Sr., and Rosalie (Burke) Ortley near Sisseton, South Dakota. She lived almost all her life at her parent's property, near Browns Valley, MN. For a brief while, as a young child, she had stayed with her great-grandmother Mrs. Simon, whom she loved very deeply, near the Dry Wood Lake area.

Her education included attending a small one room country school roughly a mile and a half from her rural home, and the Lutheran sponsored Concordia Teachers College located in Nebraska, where she earned both her high school and college education. The latter is where she began her studies in Special Education, which she later practiced in earnest and integrity within the Browns Valley school system.

Mary worked in a variety of jobs, mostly in the Sisseton, Browns Valley and Peever locations. These included at a quilt/blanket company, an elementary/high school, and a gas/convenience store located near interstate 29. The Browns Valley school system is where she practiced for roughly 20 years (during the 1970's and 1980's) her expertise as a special needs para-educator. While there, she was devoted to many wonderful students, actively engaging with them in a way that highlighted each student's individual strengths and inherent skills. Mary delighted in sharing with close family fond memories of these children, especially noteworthy was the joy in working with a young student with a neuro-developmental condition called Autism. Although, not much was known about this condition in those days, Mary sought out the best she could any relevant information about it, and as always, with upmost professionalism applied what she had discovered in a carefully tailored manner to best support this young student's educational growth. Mary, finished her employment career at a local gas/convenience store called Buck's Trailside, located just west of Peever, SD. She enjoyed the store in many ways, including working for kind owners, meeting interesting tourists, seeing friends and visiting relatives who stopped by to make purchases.

Mary had no children, but considered many in this way, including four who she helped raise to adulthood. These include Roger Ortley who lives in Sisseton, SD, Julia Ortley who lives in Wheaton, MN, John Ortley who lives in Lawrence, KS, and Rose Ortley who lives in Minneapolis, MN. Brothers and sisters include, Edmund Two Stars, Silas Ortley, Jr., Gary Ortley, LaVonne Ortley (deceased), Felicia Ortley (deceased), and Kenneth Ortley (deceased). Her many nieces and nephews, whom she adored include, Jason Ortley, Jordan Ortley, Jeff Ortley, Janet Ortley, Adam Ortley, Scott Ortley, Misty Fryer, Summer Ortley, Eric Ortley, Zachary Ortley, Danielle Ortley, Joshua, Lindsey, Kenneth Ortley Jr., Elias, Silas, Theresa, Cari Rose, Trish, Martin Ortley, and Jennifer Ortley. Her love also includes family members who have passed, including, Jay Ortley, J. Ortley, Lisa Ortley, Jeremy James Ortley, Gary Ortley Jr., Cale Bendickson, and Desirae Ortley. Her friends are numerous, treasured all of them, and often spoke fondly of Betty Ward, whom she has known a long time, chatted often with up to the present, sharing many good-natured stories with each other.