Mary Jane Gwin-Lenth

Mary Gwin-Lenth, age 81, of New Hope, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Saturday, January 31st. Mary was born in Minneapolis on May 11, 1944, to parents Edmund Earl and Frances Sprenger Lenth. She graduated from West High School in Minneapolis in 1962 and then spent a year in Austria in the International Christian Youth Exchange program. Mary graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul in 1967 with a double major in sociology and religion, which would lead to future endeavors in various social work positions, including as a supervisor in Head Start in St. Paul, and the Center for Urban Encounter in Minneapolis. Jere Gwin, of Detroit Lakes, MN, and Mary, who first met at Hamline, were married in the backyard of Mary's family home on June 10, 1972, and they combined their surnames. They would welcome their daughter Sara Elizabeth in June of 1976. Mary and Jere celebrated 53 years of marriage in 2025. They have been active members of the Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church, in Golden Valley, MN, since 1979. Mary later attained her Master's Degree in Public Administration from Hamline in 1999. She served on the New Hope City Council from 2000 to 2006, opting not to run for re-election in order to take on her favorite role, grandmother to identical twin boys, Ethan & Noah. Mary served as a commissioner on the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission, was the city representative on the local cable commission, and also served on the boards of the New Hope Crime Prevention Fund, and the local lake association. She was a passionate advocate for victims of clergy sexual abuse and participated in a church committee dealing with the issue, and in the WATCH courthouse monitoring program. Mary was also an accomplished, self-taught woodworker. Her other hobbies included sewing, travelling, and tending to her cherished backyard garden with Jere. Mary is survived by daughter Sara Perez (Robert) of Santa Barbara, CA, grandsons Ethan and Noah, brother-in-law, Robert Frazee, sister-in-law Susan Lenth, cousin Joan Jemison, along with many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was predeceased by her parents, sister Frances Frazee, and brother Charles (Charlie) Sterling Lenth. A celebration of life for Mary will be held at Spirit of Hope United Methodist Church in Golden Valley later this spring. Details to follow.

Tributes

Mary Jane Gwin-Lenth

May 11, 1944 - January 31, 2026

Tributes

Mary Jane Gwin-Lenth

May 11, 1944 - January 31, 2026

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