mary pringle erickson bio

Mary Lee Asher Pringle Erickson was born Nov. 27, 1925, in Sterling, Kansas to Clint and Frances (Gish) Asher. She grew up on their farm and went to grade school at Hazel Dell School as the only one in her class, with only five others in the entire school.
Mary Lee finished high school in Sterling in 1942 at the age of 16 and then started college in Ottawa, Kansas In 1944 she transferred to the University of Kansas, where she graduated in 1949 with a degree in Bacteriology. While attending KU she was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority and sang in the concert choir led by Dean Swarthout.
On Dec. 21, 1947 she married James Thomas (Tom) Pringle and worked as a medical technician and transcriptionist while he was attending law school. When, after moving to Ark. City, Tom needed a secretary who would work for food, she went to work for him and simultaneously for the engineering/architectural firm of Stitzel and Thoma with whom Tom shared combined office space.
After Tom was appointed District Court Judge in 1977, Mary worked for Barbour-Collinson Title Co. in Winfield, Kansas for almost ten years.
In 1986 Tom passed away, and after some travels Mary went back to work for Charles Thoma, retiring finally in 2000.
Mary was a sixty-year member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood, sang with the Twilighters and the Presbyterian Church Choir, played bridge, traveled, and reveled in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Arkansas City since 1950, having served as deacon, elder, and treasurer of the Women''s Association. In addition, for several years she was a member of the Cowley County Council on Aging board and a representative to the Silver-Haired Legislature in Topeka, Kan.
In 1996 Mary married Ted Erickson, an old friend of the family.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Clint and Frances Asher and step-son Steve Erickson.
Mary is survived by her husband, Ted Erickson; children, Frances Regina "Rags" Smith and husband Joe, James Thomas Pringle Jr. (Jim) and his wife Jan, Henry B. (Ben) Pringle and his wife Kim, and Doug Erickson; her brother, James D. Asher (Jim), who lives in Kiev; grandchildren, Molly Frances Gregory and husband Adam, Nathaniel Dylan Bukaty and wife Kelly, Nolan Benjamin Pringle and fiancéé Emily, Hatti E. Pringle, Jess Pappan Pringle, Maggie Hoag and her husband Brian, and Chris Hill and his wife Jennifer. In addition, Mary leaves five great-grandchildren, Marek Dylan Gregory, Calan Asher Gregory, Erika Hoag, Conner Hoag, and Jay Hill.

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