Mary C. Visger, aged 89, of Winnemucca passed into eternal rest on Dec. 27, 2010. Mary was born on Aug. 10, 1921, in Milford, Iowa, to George B. & Evelyn V. Reiff, the oldest of seven children. She graduated from Saint Columbkille’s Parish school in 1939 as Valedictorian of her class. After a brief teaching career in Iowa, she and her sister Geraldine lived and worked as secretaries in Chicago and San Francisco. While working in San Francisco she met her loving husband, Donald “Jim” Visger, a Navy serviceman stationed on Mare Island. They were married at Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral on Sept. 8, 1945.
Mary spent the next 35 years raising their proud family of four girls and four boys. The family lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Farmington, N.M., before settling in Winnemucca in 1972. Mary worked as office manager for her husband Don at Pacific Western Systems until their retirement in 1989. She was active in St. Paul’s Altar Society and spent her retirement years traveling with her husband in their motor home and volunteering at the Hospital Auxiliary’s Poke & Peek Thrift Shop. She loved to knit and crochet and will be warmly remembered for her caramel pecan cinnamon rolls and apple pie.
Mary battled many diseases but did not let them keep her from enjoying her large family and many local Winnemucca friends. She spent her final months in the care of Harmony Manor surrounded at the end by many of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a courageous woman who was not afraid to give her opinion freely. Mary’s strength and tenacity will always be an inspiration to those fortunate enough to know her.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Jim of 63 years in July of 2009, sisters Geraldine and Leona, brother John and her parents. She is survived by her eight children, Sequoia Seaborn, Murphys, Calif., Terry and wife Jeannie Visger, Santa Clara, Calif., Kathleen Visger, Felton, Calif., David and wife Mary Visger, Cupertino, Calif., Ed Visger, Roseville, Calif., Debbie and husband Charlie Engstrom, Winnemucca, Jim and Terri Visger, Parker Colo., and Jan Visger, Minden. She is also survived by her sisters Rita Giordano of Roseville, Calif. Theresa Luzzi of Foster City, Calif., and brother Frank Reiff of El Dorado Hills, Calif., 22 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 12, with a memorial mass to follow at 11 a.m. The family wishes to thank Dr. Robbie Grant and Dr. Richard Ingle, along with the many wonderful caretakers of Harmony Manor and Rehab & Industrial Services staff for their incredible loving care of mom over the years.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Lovelock Funeral Home.
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
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