Mary Lou Boettcher

Mary Lou was born on May 20, 1933, in South Haven, Kansas as the oldest child of David Geeslin and Mary Ellen Heeney. South Haven was a small farming town, located three miles from the Oklahoma state line. Mary Lou was raised, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Her parents were very involved in the community with her father being the town mayor and her mother as the Editor of the town newspaper, the South Haven New Era. Their example of community involvement was imprinted in the heart of Mary Lou and she spent her life involved in her church, profession and community.

Mary Lou was the older sister to John David and Patricia Heeney. She was often called the “bossy” older sister and lived up to that name. She graduated from South Haven High School in 1951, as the salutatorian. She graduated from Phillips University in Enid, OK with a bachelor’s degree in education and moved to Topeka, Kansas where she began her teaching career. While in Topeka, she met a law student named Bill Boettcher who was attending Washburn University. Much to her mother’s chagrin, Bill and Mary Lou eloped to Miami, OK, on November 27, 1957. After Bill graduated from law school and passed the bar exam, they moved to Wichita, Kansas where they both continued their careers.

In 1962, Bill and Mary Lou moved with their two children to Mesa, AZ, where they lived for the rest of their lives. Mary Lou taught elementary school and was a media specialist in the Mesa Pubic Schools for 34 years, teaching at Jefferson, Hawthorne, Sirrine, Ishikawa and Madison. While teaching, Mary Lou achieved her Master’s degree from Arizona State University, and was involved in Delta Kappa Gamma, NEA, AEA and was President of the Mesa Education Association in the early 70s. Mary Lou was a mentor to many Mesa teachers over the years and was often requested by principals to be their media specialist at new schools to set up their libraries.

Mary Lou’s community involvement included membership in Mahnah Club, P.E.O., and a charter member of the Mesa Republican Women’s Club. She was a Board Member of Citizens for a Better Arizona.

Bill and Mary Lou enjoyed 50 years of marriage before his death in 2008. They enjoyed travel, books, jazz and sports, at one point having season tickets to the Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Coyotes. They attended the 7th game of the 2001 World Series, seeing their Dbacks win the title. Mary Lou became a huge fan of the Chicago Cubs during Spring Training as they trained a block away from her home.

Mary Lou is survived by her two children; Matt (Nancy) Boettcher and Sandra Lyons; six grandchildren-Lauren (Charlie) Glover, Michael (Zoe) Lyons, Ryan and Erik Boettcher, Tracy (Wesley) Wilhausen, and Michelle (Levi) Haines; three great grandchildren-Collin and Paityn Glover, Colt Haines; her brother John David (Mary) Heeney and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Boettcher, her parents, David Geeslin and Mary Ellen Heeney, and her sister, Patricia (Heeney) Reich.

A private celebration of her life will be held on February 8, 2021, at her church. Donations may be made in her name to First Evangelical Lutheran Church at 142 N. Date, Mesa, AZ, 85201; Sunshine Acres Children’s Home at 3405 N. Higley Rd., Mesa, AZ 85215, and/or the Mesa Child Crisis Center, 604 W. 9th Street, Mesa, AZ 85201.