Pauline M. "Polly" Payne

Pauline M. “Polly” Payne, 97, of St. Paul, died Saturday, March 25, 2017, at Brookefield Park in St. Paul. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul. The Rev. Rayaapa Konka will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul. Visitation will be one hour before time of services at the church. Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is assisting the family. Mrs. Payne was born at home on June 30, 1919, at Topelius, Minnesota, the daughter of Michael Lucuas Hammes and Maria Eva (Kempe) Hammes. She received her education at Bluffton, Minnesota schools and graduated from high school in June of 1937. She was the last surviving member of a family of 6 children. She was united in marriage to George Payne on Oct 3, 1938 at Bluffton, MN. The couple farmed in Minnesota, later moving to California during World War II where George worked in the shipyards. They returned to Minnesota where they continued to farm. In 1947, they moved to a ranch in Cherry County, Nebraska, where Polly was cook for a crew of 12-35 men. They lived in various communities in Nebraska, including Seneca, Mullen, Atkinson, Alda, Grand Island, St. Libory and St. Paul. Polly was always handy with a needle and thread and sewing machine. She sewed most of the clothes for her children as they were growing up and began quilting very early in life. She remembered working on a quilt when her father was still alive. He was accidentally killed when she was 11 years old. She continued to live in her house in St. Paul after George's death in 1996. She was known for her quilts and was a member of the St. Paul Catholic Quilters. She was a 4-H leader for the St. Libory 49'ers for many years, teaching sewing and cooking skills. She was also a long-time member of Extension club and won many prizes for her artwork, quilting and cooking at the county and state fairs. She was also known as a fabric recycler. There was no piece of fabric that she could not crochet into a rug or use to make a lap quilt for area hospitals and rest homes. She was proud that she had rugs and quilts all over the United States and the world. She was a long-time member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul. She is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, John “Jack” and Judy Payne of Aurora; three daughters and two sons-in-law, Rebecca and Dallas Gerdes of Oconto, Pamela and Cal Williams of Goehner and DeAnna Irish of Hoskins; nine grandchildren, Bill Payne of Tucson, AZ, Tereasa Payne of New York City, Joe Payne of Gothenburg, Kalissa Fitzgerald of Mazomanie, WI, Margo Reeson of Hoskins, Lucuas Gerdes of Minden, Arianna Saykally-McAdams of Pickwick, MN, Nicole Irish of Hoskins and Denise Irish of Hoskins; and eight great grandchildren. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; one son, George M. Payne; one son-in-law, Steve Irish; one grandson, Carl Williams; one brother, Mathias Hammes; and four sisters, Hilde Anglin, Mary Hammes, Rita Rebuck and an infant sister, Rosa Hammes. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.