Mary Louise (Kreidler) Clemens

Mary Louise Clemens passed away on October 29, 2018, in Folsom, California.  She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 6, 1920, daughter of Edward and Anna Belle Kreidler.  At the age of 17, after the passing of her father and graduating from Withrow High School, she and her mother moved to Tucson, Arizona to be close to relatives.  There she attended the University of Arizona, majoring in history. Following graduation, she taught in Clifton and Tucson, Arizona. In 1943 she met and married Roger W.C. Clemens, who was on active duty in the Navy.

Following her husband’s discharge from the Navy, they spent a short time in Arkansas and New Mexico finally settling in California where she resumed her teaching career. She taught in Fort Bragg, Hayward, and finally in Cupertino, California, as a kindergarten teacher.  Later after receiving her master’s degree from Oregon State University, she served as a resource teacher specializing in the talented and gifted. Following an early retirement she and her husband spent the next 30+ years traveling extensively throughout the world. 

Mary loved to travel, cruise, sing, knit, garden – especially roses, and enjoyed watercolor painting. Mary was very active as a volunteer in the community.  She volunteered her time and talents with the Girl Scouts, set up a knitting program at her retirement home teaching residents how to knit throws for veterans. She was an enthusiastic genealogist, spending many hours researching, including visiting burial sites of relatives in Europe.  She was a member of DAR.   She was a loyal friend with an amazing network of friends including her childhood friends from Cincinnati. She loved reading and shared that love with her children and students.  She was very social, loved parties and encouraged her children to enjoy life and be independent. She will be sorely missed but there is consolation in knowing she led a very long and rich life.

She is survived by a son, Charles (Skip) (Lorinda) Clemens of San Francisco, California; three daughters, Alexa (Keith) Heffernan of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Nancy (Stig) Holm, of Stockholm, Sweden; Patricia (Robert) Baxter, of El Dorado Hills, California; ten grandchildren: Andrew, Kimberly, Nicole, Christie, Camilla, Madeleine, Evan, Grant, Alaina and Carina, and three great-grandchildren, Alexander, William, and Aurora.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband, Roger.

A memorial service will be held January 5, 2019, at 3 pm at Menlo Church, Saratoga campus, Saratoga, California.