Mary Heisler

Mary E Heisler, 84, from White Earth, MN passed away to the awaiting arms of her beloved husband Ducky on February 13, 2025. 

Mary Whitsitt was born to Earl and Virgie Whitsitt in 1940. Mary grew up in Jacksboro, Texas and was a 1962 graduate of Texas Woman's University and has a Master of Education in supervisory Education degree from North Texas State University. In addition, she had taken further graduate work in special education at NTSU and Western Michigan University. She has taught in the elementary grades in Colorado, Amarillo, Texas, and for the Department of Defense in the Philippine Islands and Wiesbaden, Germany before joining the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She had been teacher-supervisor at Fort Thompson and was a fourth-grade teacher. Besides her teaching and supervisory experience, Mary had traveled and visited twenty-seven countries and most of the states of the United States. 

Mary met the love of her life Richard “Ducky” Heisler while they were working for the BIA in South Dakota and married on July 19, 1974. They lived in Pierrie & Aberdeen, SD, then decided to move where Ducky was born and raised, then they built their beautiful log home on the White Earth Indian Reservation. She worked for the White Earth Reservation in the Planning Department until her retirement. She served several years on many local boards including the Waubun-Ogema-White Earth School Board.

Mary was a woman of many interests, her catholic faith was a constant in her life. She was known to express her matter-of-fact opinions, but she had a giving heart and supported many charities. When she and Ducky were not out fishing or spending time with family, she would spend her spare time reading, baking her delicious pecan pies, crafting or in her flower gardens throughout her yard. She had a deluge of different trees, flowers and lilac bushes but her favorite was her peonies. She often was a part of Ducky’s stories that were filled with laughter and shined with love. Her husband Ducky was her best friend, and throughout their 50 years together it would still be heard through their home “hello my love, I missed you”. 

She is survived by her stepdaughter, Lisa Heisler; granddaughters: Brittney and Jenna; her nieces: Susan Haines and Caren Kenedy; and her nephew, Charles Horton; brothers-in-law: Stanley “Rob” Heisler (Cleone), James Heisler (Laverne); sister-in-law, Dorothy Heisler; niece, Christie Haverkamp (Tony); nephews: Jack Heisler and Billy Stech; and a treasure trove of nieces and nephews and greats, who were all special to her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ducky; her parents: Earl and Virgie Whitsitt; sisters: Norma Ann Haines and Emma Jane Horton; in-laws: Jiggs (Phyllis), John (Martha), Bud and Vernon Heisler; Pearl (Jack) Fabre, Doris (Harold) Drinkwine, Harriet (Frank) Stech and Jane (Glenn) Christofferson.

God Bless the memory of Mary Heisler 

Memorial Service: 11AM, Friday, February 21, 2025, at St. Benedict Catholic Church in White Earth, MN with visitation one-hour prior to service.  Burial will be held in the spring at Calvary Cemetery.