Mary was born on February 14, 1926 in Malmberget, Sweden, a small town above the Arctic Circle. She was the eldest of three children born to Rickard and Edith Persson.
In 1948, Mary came to the U.S. to study for one year. While in New Jersey, she met her future husband, Lee, at church. They were married on Christmas Eve 1949 in Sweden. Following a wedding trip to Paris, they returned to the United States and settled in Montclair, New Jersey.
Although trained as a dietician, Mary became a fulltime homemaker and frequent volunteer at church. She was an excellent cook and baker, and fond of preparing traditional Swedish fare, particularly during her Christmas baking season, which began with Thanksgiving. Lutefisk was a mandatory course during Christmas Eve dinner; however, the special breads and holiday cookies were much more popular with friends and family.
In 1979, the (late) Rev. Paul A. Laurell, formerly of Montclair, NJ, established a new Lutheran Church on Lower Cape Cod. Mary and Lee Anderson joined as charter members of what would become Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Harwich.
After retiring, Mary and Lee divided their time between Montclair, New Jersey, Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Cape Cod where they had a summer home; ultimately, they moved fulltime to Chatham. They also enjoyed travelling, and did so extensively, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. A favorite spot was Valbonne, in the South of France, which they returned to many times. They enjoyed meeting new friends and entertaining them on the Cape.
Mary is survived by her daughter, Christine and her husband, Vincent, of San Francisco and their three children. She is also survived by her sister, Anita Adermalm of Gallivare, Sweden and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son, Robert in 2004.
Mary’s family wishes to thank the staff of Liberty Commons and Broad Reach Hospice in North Chatham for their attentive and gracious care.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Harwich on Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 11 am.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 310 Route 137, East Harwich, MA, 02645.
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