Mary "Marie" A. Pearson

Mary “Marie” A. Pearson, 102, passed away on Friday, September 26, 2025 at Missouri Slope, Bismarck.

The funeral will be at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at Sunne Lutheran Church, Wilton, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation on Tuesday, from 5-7:00 PM at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, with a prayer service starting at 7 PM.

Mary A. Pearson, was born on April 28, 1923, in Wilton, ND to Erick and Ottilia (Larson) Pearson. She was raised and educated in Wilton, and attended Wahpeton State School of Science for secretarial training.

Mary worked in the Workman’s Compensation Division at the State Capital in Bismarck for two years before moving to California in 1947. While there she was employed with the Bank of America, Fisher Lumber Co., and for the Flex-Straw International Co. In 1973, Mary returned to Bismarck where she worked for the ND Heritage Foundation of the Heritage Commission, thus she was instrumental in getting the Heritage Center operational. Mary began working for Knife River Coal Co. in 1984, where she was involved in clerical work and the purchasing of office supplies. She retired in 1992. Mary lived with and cared for her mother from 1988 until Ottilia’s death in 1994.

Mary enjoyed gardening, reading and watching television. She believed in mankind expressing respect for one another, and felt that in order for life to be lived well, one needed a good spirit and a suitable attitude to match. Mary laughed easily, and fondly recalled the time in Las Vegas when she and her good friend Betty Ingham were singled out by the singer, Vic Damone, to “turn your chairs around and face the stage”.

She is survived by her sister-in-law, Catherine Pearson; nieces and nephews, Tana Snell, LuWan Duma, Conna Cook, Jean Marie Steckler, John Johnson, George Lambros, Sandra Shannon, Julie Schmmenti, Ronald Pearson, Eric Pearson, Douglas Pearson Jr., Terry Pearson and Karry Pearson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Reuben (Augusta) Pearson, Bennevi (John) Lambros, Douglas Pearson Sr., Helen (Marvin) Johnson; and one nephew, Robert Pearson.