RAPID CITY--Mary Opal (Rapp) Carlin, age 97, passed away on Saturday, June 28, 2008, her Rapid Valley home. Mary, was born May 21, 1911, to John & Ursula (Jones) Rapp, at the home of her great grand father, Andrew Jackson Jones, at Bijou Hills, South Dakota. Mary was baptized on August 10, 1911, at Holy Trinity Church, Bendon, South Dakota, now relocated at Kimball, South Dakota. Mary, was the first born of ten children; Mary, Gertrude, Rose, Bernard, Richard, Leonard, Theodore, James, Frances & Julia. Mary grew up and attended school at Kimball, South Dakota and was the last living member of her 1929 graduating class from Kimball. After high school Mary, attended nurses training at St. Joseph's Hospital in Mitchell, South Dakota, where she met Patrick Carlin. They were married January 19, 1932, at St. Margaret's Catholic Church in Kimball. The young couple moved to farm of Patrick's father, Thomas Carlin, northeast of Emery, South Dakota, where they lived until 1959, when they moved to a farm east of Rapid City. To this union was born fifteen children; John, Leo, Charles, Richard, James, Joseph, Patricia, Michael, Paul, Margaret, Anne, Mary, Thomas, Jeanette, and Daniel. Mary is survived by her two sisters Rose Lorene Brooks, of Rapid City and Frances Ann Stapelberg of Lockeford, California; two brothers, Theodore Rapp, of Rapid City and James Rapp, of Denver, Colorado; twelve of her children; John Carlin, of Graettinger, Iowa, Leo Carlin of Byars, Oklahoma, James, Joseph and Daniel Carlin, all of Rapid City, Patricia Janssen, Margaret Buchert and Mary Dorothy Carlin, all of Rapid City, Michael Carlin, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, Anne Anderson, of San Diego, California, Thomas Carlin, of Mitchell and Jeanette Wallace, of Douglas, Wyoming. Mary is also survived by forty-eight grandchildren, ninety-six great-grandchildren and numerous great-great grandchildren. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, John & Ursula (Jones) Rapp, five of her siblings, Julia Evelyn, Bernard, Leonard, Gertrude Pearl and Richard; her husband Patrick Carlin; three of her sons; Paul, Charles & Richard Carlin one granddaughter, Dorothy Carlin and one great grandson, Alex Carlin. Of those who knew Mary, words can not convey the strength and goodness of her character. Each of us will cherish our own memories of Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother and Great-Great Grandmother. Visitation will be from 5 until 7 p.m., with a Christian wake service at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, 2700 Jackson Blvd. Mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 3, at the Church of St. Thrse, the Little Flower, 532 Adams St., with Father Bill Zandri presiding. Burial will follow in Mount Calvary Cemetery, 1901 Mountain View Road, Rapid City. A memorial has been established.