Mary Louise Herr

As a young girl, Mary L. Herr learned the importance of family and the fulfillment that comes from a well kept home and well fed family. Although in later years she was faced with some very hard times, she found the courage to endure and the strength to overcome. While life may not have always been perfect, Mary knew that she could find joy in taking care of her home and love being with her family. Throughout the early part of the twentieth century, millions of people crossed the Atlantic to America in search of a better way a life. Making the trip from Norway, Olga Rood made her way to Fruitport, MI where she would meet her husband, Aner Berson, born in Muskegon, MI but also of Norwegian descent. There they started their own business, a pickle factory. In November of 1928, the couple had plenty to be thankful for including a successful farm and factory and eight beautiful children at home, with the ninth expected to arrive any day. At last, on November 14, they proudly welcomed a new baby girl named Mary Louise. Born at home and into a family of nine children, which eventually grew to ten, by the time Mary arrived her mother was old hat when it came to raising children. And with land to tend and a business to operate, the pickle factory was a family affair to say the least. On school days, Mary and her siblings walked miles to attend Cummings School and as they got older, Fruitport School. When class wasn't in session, you could find Mary hard at work in the fields or in the kitchen with mom. She and her sister Eileen had just over a year's difference between them so they shared a special bond as sisters and formed a close relationship. Mary's family was her priority so after completing the tenth grade, she left her studies behind to help out at home full time. Although they always persevered, during her young life Mary and her family experienced some unfortunate and even tragic events. At one point, her brother Martin was smoking a cigarette in the factory's office, which led to an accidental fire that burned down the building. When Mary was barely twenty years old, she and Eileen were traveling in a car with a friend when they got into a serious accident. The crash left Eileen with a concussion and Mary a compound fracture in her leg, and took the life of the driver. In the late 1940s, Mary was out with some girlfriends when she met a young man by the name of Charles E. Herr at a gas station where he worked. Charles, however, was not a free man and Mary was determined to whisk him away from his current flame. It didn't take very long for her to catch his eye and soon the two were an item. After dating for over a year, they broke things off for a time, but were soon back together. Charles's father strongly recommended that this time around he buy her a ring, and that's just what he did. On October 6, 1950, Mary and Charles were married in a ceremony at the Norwegian, Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Muskegon. Just one year after tying the knot, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Janice. A few years later in 1954, a son named Charles was born, but not without some difficulty. He was breach at the time of delivery and as a result, Mary almost died from complications. Baby Charles had some problems as well, but pulled through and grew to be healthy and strong. While she had nearly lost one of her children at birth, sadly, in 1978, she would lose her other child unexpectedly to a cerebral hemorrhage. Apart from the grief she experienced after the passing of Janice, throughout her entire adult life Mary suffered from some very serious health issues. She underwent operation after operation, and she always seemed to recover. No matter what medical troubles she was having, she kept her home in impeccable shape and was fastidious when it came to housework. Perhaps from all the time she spent in the kitchen with her mother as a young girl, Mary was an excellent cook as well and made many wonderful and tasty dishes for her own family to enjoy. Despite her numerous heath problems, Mary lived on into her golden years and was able to experience the pride and joy that comes with being a grandmother. She endured many things in her lifetime, yet was always able to keep her home and family intact. After spending two weeks in the hospital, Mary finally found peace in the early morning hours of Tuesday, November 28, 2006. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend who will be dearly missed and fondly remembered. Mary is survived by her husband, Charles; son, Charles E. (Kris) Herr, Jr. of Twin Lake; 2 grandchildren, Justin sister, Eileen Juhnke of Grand Haven. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Janice M. Herr in 1978; 4 brothers & 4 sisters. A service will he held on Saturday, December 2, 2006, 1:00 PM at Clock Chapel-Muskegon. Interment will be at Laketon Township Cemetery. A visitation will be held on Friday, 2-4 & 6-8 PM, at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Hackley Cancer Center. Please visit Mary's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.