Mary Lou Seckerson

Mary Lou Seckerson, 92, entered her eternal home on December 21, 2019, at her beloved farm house southeast of Windsor, North Dakota.

Mary Lou Tompkins was born to Edward and Gertrude (Winters) Tompkins on March 20, 1927 at Trinity Hospital in Jamestown, ND. She was baptized, received her First Communion, and confirmed at St. James Basilica in Jamestown.

Mary Lou’s education was obtained at St. John’s Academy in Jamestown. Since tuition was costly, she worked diligently to put herself through high school by helping her grandmother. They would drive from town to town on Old Highway 10 from Jamestown to Fargo, selling homegrown vegetables. Upon graduation in 1945, she found employment at a laundromat, The Star Theater, Grand Theater, Jamestown College cafeteria, and Trinity Hospital where she assisted the nuns.

Mary Lou married her sweetheart, Lloyd Seckerson, on November 8, 1947. In 1949, they moved to a farmstead southeast of Windsor where they raised their family. She happily became a farmer’s wife - milking cows, butchering chickens, and driving tractor and truck. Later in life, she received much enjoyment from riding her 4-wheeler and checking the cows. The farm was her home and she resided there until she took her final breath.

Due to Lloyd’s love of flying airplanes, they made great use of their private runway at the farm. He taught her how to fly and in 1961, she became licensed and did her first solo flight. This provided endless hours of observing our beautiful world from a different perspective.

Mary Lou delighted in many camping escapades with her family. She was always ready for the next adventure and her favorite destination was the mountains! John Wayne was her favorite actor, and she thoroughly enjoyed all of his movies. His one-liners always made her chuckle.

There are countless special memories that Mary Lou’s family will cherish forever. Her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren always looked forward to the “Happy Cake”. She made the best angel food cake and it was a constant request for birthdays and any occasion. Another sweet remembrance was whenever you visited the farm and it was time to leave – you could be assured that Grandma would stand outside waving goodbye until you were long out of sight.

Mary Lou’s sweet demeanor and gentle love will be treasured and missed by her six children, Arlene (Dwight) Tahran of Crookston, MN, Roy (Judy), Dale (Marion), Alan, Marlene Wiest and Dorene (David) Stroh, all of Jamestown; ten grandchildren; seventeen great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband of sixty years, Lloyd; her infant son, David Alan; her parents and grandparents; one son-in-law, Darrell Wiest; one sister, Verna Mae (Paul) Krapp; and three brothers, William (Jan) Tompkins, Robert Tompkins, and Jerry Tompkins.

The family of Mary Lou wishes to sincerely thank Red River Valley Hospice for their superb care given to our mom.

Visitation will be 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM with family receiving friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Thursday, December 26, 2019 at Eddy Funeral Home. Funeral service will be 10:00 AM, Friday, December 27 at St. James Basilica. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements by Eddy Funeral Home.

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