Mrs. Mary Heidecker

Mary Ann Heidecker (Vilda) was born on January 25, 1929 in Wilber, NE and passed peacefully in her home in Imperial, MO, at the age of 92 March 22, 2021. She graduated from Wilber High School and on June 26, 1948, she married Earl Donald Heidecker. They eventually moved to a farm near Cortland, NE. After Earl retired, they built a new house in Beatrice, NE.

Mary was a member of the Sokol Gymnastics team and was on Wilber’s cheerleading squad. She was also quite athletic and held the record for the Girl’s Diving Championship at the Wilber Swimming pool from 1941- 45. When Mary was a lifeguard at the Wilber pool, she saved an Army soldier on home on leave and a young child.

Mary loved living on the farm and the farm life. She was an energetic farm wife where she enjoyed gardening, canning vegetables and beef, driving the tractor, pulling shattercane, cooking, baking, cleaning, sewing, and upholstering. Each summer she loved getting a good looking tan. She dearly loved their 3 German Shepherd farm dogs, all three were named Herman, and lived at different times. She was terrified of their horse, Rebel, because he chased her around the corral. Although she was not a big fan of all the farm cats. She tolerated them because of their mousing skills.

She was loved by her family and many friends. Mary loved to entertain and had some very close friends that would meet at each other’s houses to play cards, drink beer and eat sandwiches. Her favorite music was POLKA and Mary and Earl could really cut a rug on the dance floor.

The family attended the United Methodist Church in Cortland, NE. When living in Beatrice, Mary became a Home Health Aide and worked at the PEO Home.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Earl on September 24, 1996; sons Craig and Michael; parents, Otto and Abbie Vilda; sisters, Norma and Verna; brothers, Delton, Larry, and Jackie Dean. She is survived by her sister, Carol Hagan; daughter, Samie Dozor; daughter-inlaw, Pat Heidecker; two sister-in-laws, five grandchildren and their spouses, 7 great grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and with another on the way. The funeral service will be May 1, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery in Lincoln, NE. Memorials may be made to Mercy Hospice, 151 Industrial Dr. Festus, MO 63028 in Mary's name.