Mary Walker, age 67, of Wanamingo, passed away with her family by her side, on Saturday evening, July 16, 2022, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester.
A celebration of her life will be at the Curt & Jane Wagner residence, Friday, August 5th, from 3-7 p.m.
Mary Kristin Hill Walker was born April 27, 1955, in International Falls, Minnesota, to Clifford and Mabel (Nybo) Hill. She graduated from Falls High School in 1973 and received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Augsburg College in Minneapolis. On June 4, 1977, Mary married her former husband, Scott Schuman, in Bloomington. After marriage they made their home in Brooklyn Center and in 1984, they moved to Bloomington. Over the years Mary worked as an accountant for various businesses. In 1992, Mary, Scott and family moved to International Falls, where they later divorced.
At a class reunion in International Falls, Mary became reacquainted with classmate Richard Walker. She moved to Brainerd to be with Richard, and they married on May 29, 2002. After marriage, they lived in Rapid City for a short time before spending the next 19 years in communities in southern Minnesota. Mary worked together with Richard in his medical practice until her health failed.
Mary was kind and caring, and her love language was gift giving, earning her the nickname “Nana Claus.” She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother, with her grandchildren being the focal point of her life. She was a Nana who jumped on trampolines and crawled on the floor, pushing trucks. She loved making art and playing board games. She never wanted to miss an event or opportunity to cheer her grandchildren on. Her favorite time to visit them was during the chaos of the evening – just to be a part of the circus. She loved listening to Charlie play the guitar. She loved watching Alyssa act in community theater. She loved Target, and often helped other shoppers find items on the shelves. Many of the Northfield Target employees knew her by name. She was a Type One Diabetes warrior for 53 years, but never let the disease define her. She enjoyed helping Rick garden and nature watch on their beautiful countryside acreage, which brought her peace and plenty of opportunities to pull weeds: her arch-nemeses. She became a dog lover and will be happy to be reunited with Spencer, Lilly, Samson, and Ollie at the Rainbow Bridge. She loved returning to Rainy Lake to see family and friends, and her “Ladies and Gradys” vacations to Nisswa and Duluth. She was loved and will be greatly missed.
Survivors include her husband of 20 years, Richard; her children, Alyssa (Russ) Bauer of Northfield, Charles (Alison Nieber) Schuman of Minneapolis, Sam Walker of Chicago, Kate (Bi) Yoo of Rogers; 7 grandchildren, Evelyn, Whitney, Grady, Jerry, Linnea, Elliot and Julian; her sisters, Barb Downs of Berkeley, California; Jane (Curt) Wagner of International Falls; her brother-in-law, Bill Dykstra of Ft. Pierce, FL; special niece, Kristy Wagner-Werner; nieces, nephews, many other relatives and friends; her stinker dog, Chester, and sweet dog, Ruby, as well as Hazel, the spoiled cat. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters: Putsey Dykstra, Penny Hallock, and Suzie Phair.
Memorials are preferred to Mayo Clinic Hope Fund or JDRF Minnesota.
Arrangements are with the Benson & Langehough Funeral Home. www.northfieldfuneral.com
