Mary Ann was born and raised in Kerman, California, to Erwin and Amelia Sawall Sr. She attended Vineland elementary school in Kerman, and when she was young, she was an avid member of 4H. Mary Ann graduated from Kerman High School in 1959, where she was a pep girl. While attending Fresno City College, she worked at Toner Grocery Store in Kerman and later went on to work for Bank of America in Fresno, California, for over 30 years as a note and collections teller, and then as a teller trainer.
Mary Ann farmed with her husband Norman in her later years in the almond and raisin industries. She enjoyed gardening, reading books, painting, playing solitaire, traveling, and celebrating her favorite holidays, the 4th of July and Christmas, with her family and friends.
Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Erwin and Amelia Sawall Sr., her brother, Erwin F. Sawall Jr., and sister Beverley Douglas Tait. She is survived by her beloved husband of 59 years, Norman Pretzer, her daughter, Heidi Hodges and husband Sean Hodges, her granddaughter Heather Hodges, and grandson Sean Hodges, of Fresno, California. Mary Ann is also survived by her brother-in-law William Pretzer of Fresno, and sister-in-law Diana Sawall of Oregon, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Remembrances in Mary Ann's honor may be made to the Ted and Ida Pretzer FFA scholarship, mailed to c/o Heidi Hodges, PO Box 164, Kerman, CA, 93630.
A visitation for Mary Ann will be held at Stephens and Bean Chapel, located at 202 N Teilman Avenue, Fresno, California, 93706, on Monday, September 22, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. A funeral service for Mary Ann will take place at the same venue on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, starting at 10:00 am. A committal service will follow this, taking place at Fresno Memorial Gardens, located at 175 S Cornelia Avenue, Fresno, California, 93706. All who knew and loved Mary Ann are welcomed to attend.