Mary became inspired to move to Florida and work for Disney after visiting Disney World in 1975 and 1976. Many were the looks of disbelief on the faces of the family friends that she told her plan to. She was adamant that she would leave Wisconsin upon her high school graduation before she had even reached the age of 18. And so, in 1979, that is what she did.
She began working at the Polynesian resort where she met another young new arrival to Florida. Roger Sveum had also left his family in the north, in his case North Dakota, to pursue his Disney dream. They were married in 1984 in Milwaukee and honeymooned in Hawaii before settling in back in Orlando.
Mary and Roger wanted kids, but also loved to travel. They traveled the U.S.A, i.e. San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York City, and to Europe twice, Bermuda and other places. The boys came in 1988 (John), 1991 (Matthew), and 1994 (Christopher), and after 16 years at Disney, Mary became a full time mom and homemaker, a job that she loved even more. The family still travelled together. Mary loved the beach and it was always a short distance away for a family daytrip. The Disney Cruise Line also provided an occasional family getaway, as well as trips to the Carolina shore, Vero Beach and others.
Mary loved to cook and was always trying out new things and perfecting her skills. The holidays, especially Christmas were always special to her and her family, and she went to great extent with decorations, food and everything that went into making it magical. Her gardening was also a matter of great effort and pride as she wanted her home to have a certain look and feel, both inside and out. She had a deep Christian faith and stayed active in Bible study and prayer groups with good friends.
Mary was a vibrant, loving person, and dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother to John's twins, Lucas and Layla. She was a great listener and was always ready to help out in any way she could. People that met her gravitated to her warmth and sincerity. She had a tremendous strength of character and determination. She was the heart and rock of her family, and she is dearly missed by many friends.
