Mary Genevieve Landrigan, (known to most as Genevieve), of Bridgeport died peacefully at the age of 91 years, 8 months, on October 13, 2012, surrounded by her family. Her Funeral Mass, will be held at 10am on Thursday, October 18, 2012 at the All Souls Catholic Church in Bridgeport with Father Dave Rykwalder as Celebrant. The inurnment will be held at the Oregon Trail Cemetery in Bridgeport. Visitation will be from 2pm til 5pm at Jolliffe Funeral Home in Bridgeport on Tuesday, with a Rosary/Vigil service beginning at 6pm at All Soul’s Catholic Church; at which time family and friends are welcome to celebrate Mary’s life and offer brief eulogies and memories. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the All Souls Catholic Church in care of Father Dave Rykwalder. Online condolences may be left and a memorial candle may be lit in Mary’s memory at www.jolliffefuneralhome.com. Jolliffe Funeral Home in Bridgeport is in charge of arrangements.
She was born to Harold and Margaret Jeffryes on February 13, 1921 in Bassett, Nebraska, the oldest of four sisters. She lived with her family in Alliance, NE during her elementary-school and high-school years, graduating from Alliance High School in 1939. The harsh economic times of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl Days conditioned her life and prepared her for a lifetime of hard work. While working as head cook at the Everett Eldred Ranch in 1939, she met her husband, Joseph D. Landrigan. They were married on March 30, 1940, and over the next 10-years they had five children.
Mary and Joe moved from Gering, Nebraska to their farm northeast of Bridgeport in early December 1947. To make ends meet and to provide for the needs of her growing family, Mary actively engaged in all the labor-intensive tasks associated with farming and caring for the livestock, selling eggs, cream, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, wool and other farm produce.
Her jobs off the farm included cooking positions at the Northport Elementary School and the first Morrill County Hospital. Around 1956, Mary also worked for Jack Edwards at the Bulldog Drive-in. She then worked a total of 10-years with the ASCS/Soil Conservation offices. In 1968, she purchased the R & W Drive-in, and about 1970, she purchased Ann and Joe’s Drive-In, renaming it the Kar-ette Drive-in, operating the two drive-ins until the beginning of 1976. She continued to work at both drive-ins between 1976 and 1999, and additionally at the Cottonwood Drive-in/Oasis Restaurant between 1978 and 1982. She completed her restaurant career at the Subway, still going strong at the age of 81, as a Subway Sandwich artist.
Mary was unwavering in her devotion to her family, her children and grandchildren, and as a long-time member of the Catholic Church and the women’s Altar Society, she dedicated much of her time and energy toward supporting the church building fund by baking many, many delicious apple pies, preparing food served during Harvest Dinners, and making many afghans that were raffled or auctioned. Mary followed her father’s example of providing food to the poor during the Great Depression era by generously providing food baskets, in her own time, to struggling families within our community, and very frequently prepared meals for families who had just lost loved ones. It is important to mention Mary’s participation in serving Meals on Wheels for several years, and in preparing Soup Luncheons, the proceeds of which provided funds to the larger Bridgeport Ecumenical Ministerial Association in assisting travelers, in need of assistance, who were passing through town. In her own words, Mary worked hard and gave a lot, “hoping in return that somebody would do the same for other people. I couldn’t stand to see people go hungry.” She knew the wisdom of “Pay It Forward” long before the movie became popular.
Survivors include one sister, Velma Reed of Flower Mound, TX, four children, Patricia (Ron) McCloud of Dunsmuir, CA, Mike (Lynn) Landrigan of Albuquerque, NM, Donald (Charlotte) Landrigan of Bridgeport, NE, and Robert (Donna) Landrigan of Bridgeport, NE; 12 Grandchildren, 2 Step-Grandchildren, 20 Great-Grandchildren, 5 Step-Great-Grandchildren, and 2 Great-Great Grandchildren.
Preceding Mary in death are her parents, her husband, Joseph D. Landrigan, two sisters, Lucille Provencher of Danielson, CT, and Betty Shubert of Gering, NE, her oldest son, Richard J. Landrigan of Scottsbluff, NE, Baby Granddaughter Mary Margaret Landrigan of Chicago, Step-Grandson, Larry Sanders of Bridgeport, and Grandson, Michael Dennis Landrigan of Chicago.

Mom, we are proud that you were our Mother. We are proud of your hard work ethic, your strength and stamina and resiliency in facing and overcoming difficult times. We are grateful for all that you taught us and for all of your loving, motherly sacrifices for us. We will miss you Mom. Godspeed to your Heavenly reward.