Mary Louise Parker Nichols

Mary Louise Parker Nichols, age 81, of Savanna, Illinois, died Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at her home. A Funeral Mass will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 20, 2009 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Savanna, with Father Dennis Atto officiating. Burial will be in St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery, Savanna. A Visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Thursday, February 19, 2009 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. A Memorial Fund has been established in Mary’s name. Mary was born on April 15, 1927 in Savanna, Illinois, the daughter of John and Bessie (Yochem) Parker. She attended Savanna schools. On April 1, 1946 Mary married Donald M. Nichols and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April 1996. Don passed away on August 15, 2002.
Mary loved being with her family – husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. She and Don owned many dogs during their married life. Her favorites were Brandy and Dempsey and she would occasionally “accidentally” call family members by the dogs names.
Mary and Don spent their weekends dancing to their favorite band, The Blue Rainbow, often following them from place to place. Her hobbies included reading Stephen King novels, doing crossword puzzles and crocheting afghans for her family. She was known for making the BEST divinity candy at Christmas and also for canning produce from their garden on their farm. In her adult years Mary learned to drive and also overcame her childhood fear of water by taking swimming lessons.
Mary was a lifelong devout member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Savanna. She was very proud of the gifts of two rosaries from the Vatican that had been blessed by the Pope that she received from her son Rick and her granddaughter Whitney.
She belonged to several groups and organizations: The Catholic Daughters, Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 2223, Palisades Women’s Bowling League, Women of the Moose and was a voting registrar.
She was written up in medical journals at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester for being one of the first people to undergo open-heart surgery in 1953 and then again in 1970 when she received one of the first stainless steel replacement heart valves. It continued to operate flawlessly for more than 39 years, much to the amazement of her doctors.
Mary would like her family to recognize her special in-home caretaker Denise Adams for taking such good care of her in the last year and the staffs at the TLC Home Care and Mercy Dialysis Unit in Clinton, IA where she was a patient for the past four years.
Mary is survived by two sons, Donald J.R. “Nick” (Cathy) Nichols of Sherrard, Illinois and Rick J. Nichols of Savanna, Illinois; three grandchildren, Carrie Goldsmith, Kimberly (Scott) Gengenbach, Michael (Sheri) Nichols. six great-grandchildren, Whitney Pannell, Evan, Logan and Ryan Gengenbach, Matthew and Erin Nichols; one sister, Ruth Ann (James) Kasbohm and a brother, Joseph Parker both of Savanna.
Her parents, her husband Donald, a sister Betty Miller and a brother James Parker precede Mary in death. Mary was very giving and caring and will be greatly missed by those who love her.