Mary Harriet (Nourse) Ketzler

Mary Harriet Ketzler (née Nourse, formerly Hiller), age 87, of Drammen Town, Eau Claire County, WI, passed away on July 6, 2022 in Eau Claire.

Mary was born in Iowa City, Iowa to Jean Florence Mosier and Benjamin Chamberlain Nourse on December 2, 1934. She graduated from Washington High School in Brainerd, Minnesota in 1952 and from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa in 1956 as a German major, then went on to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, where she met her first husband, Robert Wayne Hiller. They were married from 1956 to 1975, eventually settling in Roseville, Minnesota, where they raised four children, Otto Hjalmar, Martha Jean (Marty), Karl Franklin, and Roger Andrew (Andrew). In the 1970s, Mary became certified as a special education teacher and worked at Edgerton and Maplewood Elementary Schools in Minnesota and at Roosevelt Elementary School in Wisconsin. Mary met her second husband, John Ketzler, through a shared interest in ballroom dancing; they married in 1979 and lived in White Bear Lake before moving to Mondovi, Wisconsin in 1990.

Mary had many interests throughout her life, which evolved and adapted to a rural life, surrounded by nature, in her later years. She shared an interest in amateur radio (WO9R) with her husband John (W9TFC), and they travelled extensively in the early years of their marriage, often with or to visit radio acquaintances. She raised goats and chickens for many years after moving to Wisconsin, participated in bird counts and other birdwatching activities, and was an avid nature photographer, chronicling the local wildlife on their property and in surrounding areas. Mary also drew, painted, wrote poetry and made pottery, including many small animal figurines.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents Benjamin Chamberlain and Jean Francis Nourse; twin sister Margaret Hulbert and husband Ward; her brothers, Alan and Bill and wife Mona and their son Roy; her husband John Ketzler, her former husband Robert Hiller; and many animal friends.

She is survived by her four children and their families: Otto and Betty and their children Michael, KaTina and Victoria and grandchildren Kevosier, D'Myshea, KaTia, Chavella, Tavion, Jairus, Jaiden, Tyvarres, Damon, Tyrell, MaKayla, and Adril, Marty and her child Miles, Karl and Rocio and their child Ana, and Andrew and Laura and his child Melinda and her sister Natasha. She is also survived by her sister Margaret's children Leslie Hulbert, Lee Hulbert, Jean Hulbert, and Judy Hulbert, her brother Alan's spouse Ann Nourse and children: Benjamin Nourse, Becky Nourse, Jon Nourse, Chris Nourse, her brother Bill's child: Dennis Nourse and by her two cats Morris and Midnight, who are currently living at the Eau Claire County Humane Association and looking for new homes.

The family of Mary wishes to extend our sincere thanks to her neighbors who helped in many ways especially during her last years when she was alone,
Peg & Paul Savides, Kelly & Martin Lee, Caleb Lee, Sandy & Allan Brantner, Terry & Jean Glanzman. 

Thanks also to the many caring doctors and nurses at Mayo Hospital Eau Claire where Mary spent her last 3 weeks.

Funeral service will be held at 2 pm with a Visitation starting at 1pm on Friday, July 22, 2022 at Lenmark Gomsrud Linn Funeral Home, at 814 First Avenue in Eau Claire. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in Star Prairie.

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