Mary N Lakie-Hermann

Mary Josephine Nelson Lakie-Hermann, 94, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by family on Saturday, April 18, 2020 in Sacramento, California.  Mary is a former resident of Davis, California and Macomb, Illinois.  Mary was born in Fergus Falls, Minnesota on October 28, 1925 to Alfred John Nelson and Thea Martinson Nelson.  She grew up in Fergus Falls and Barnesville, Minnesota.  Mary married William (Bill) Lakie in Barnesville on March 21, 1948. Following Bill’s death, she married George Hermann on January 25, 1993.

Mary graduated from Barnesville High School in 1943, and attended Concordia College in Moorhead and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction in 1949 from University of Minnesota, receiving a Public Health Nursing certificate from Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis.  Mary was employed as a Public Health Nurse in Alameda County, California for a number of years and spent her life volunteering with many community and church groups.

Mary was a wonderful mother, grandmother, wife and friend to many.  Her generosity and kindness were seen in the many people and organizations she worked with and supported. She was a member of the Davis Community Church and a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Macomb, a member of the Presbyterian Women, member of PEO and Anna L Parker book club.  She worked on the McDonough District Hospital Auxiliary, and was involved in both UCD and WIU University Women.

Mary had a great wit and sense of humor, she perfected the art of letter writing, was a gracious hostess and her recipes are shared by many family and friends. Mary was a voracious reader and enjoyed biographies and books on current and world events. Mary loved spending time with family and had special times with her grand and great-grandchildren.  Mary loved traveling and visited family in Norway and Scotland as well as across the US. Her 90^th birthday was celebrated in New York City with her 3 daughters.

Mary is survived by her daughters, Susan Lakie, Patricia Lakie, Ann Lakie and Jan (Kevin) Wiehardt; grandchildren, Melanie (Sergio) Gonzalez, Timothy (Marina Jaquez) Peterson, Kirsten (Darren) Clerkin, Andrew Peterson and Sarah Peterson; three great-grandchildren, George Patrick Clerkin, John Joseph Clerkin and Sophie Gonzalez. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Nancy (Lakie) Moe, nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her husbands, William (Bill) L. Lakie, George W. Hermann, her parents Al and Thea Nelson, Bill’s parents William (Bim) and Fay Lakie, her brother and sister-in-law, Alfred and Patricia Nelson and her brother-in-law, Robert Moe.

Services are Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 11:00 AM at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Barnesville, MN.  

Memorial donations in Mary’s honor may be made to one of her favorite charities: Covenant House, Special Olympics or your local food bank.

Mary treated everyone with kindness and was an amazing role model for us all.