Mary Nielsen Smith

Mary Nielsen Smith, 70,

lifelong Minot resident

and longtime Minot State

University nursing in-

structor, died on Thurs-

day, March 18, 2021 in

Minot after valiantly fac-

ing pancreatic cancer for

the past year.

Mary Kay was born on

June 29, 1950 in Minot to

Lawrence and Evelyn

(Smith) Nielsen. She was

raised and educated in

Minot (Longfellow, Ram-

stad, MHS) and graduated

from Minot High School

in 1968. She continued

her education at the

University of North Dako-

ta where she received her

Bachelor of Science De-

gree in Nursing in 1972

and Master’s Degree in

1987. Mary married Ches-

ter A. “Spike” Smith Jr. on

July 1, 1972. They made a

home in Minot and were

blessed with two

daughters. Spike died on

May 3, 2018.

Mary worked all of her

life to care for others and

to train nurses to provide

the utmost care to their

patients. She was em-

ployed as a staff nurse in

the Orthopedic Unit and

Emergency Room from

July of 1972 until 1976

when she began teaching

at the Trinity School of

Nursing. She served in

that capacity until 1986

when she became an As-

sistant Professor in the

Minot State University

Nursing Department. Dur-

ing her time at Minot

State she taught

medical/surgical nursing,

leadership and manage-

ment and was responsible

for the senior nursing

practicum. She also

served as the interim

Chairperson for the

Department of Nursing

from 2006 – 2007 and

again in the summer of

2011, and worked as the

Advanced Standing Direc-

tor of the RN to BSN Com-

pletion Online Program

since 2007.

Outside of her regular

work at the university,

Mary’s passion for nurs-

ing led to involvement in

numerous service organi-

zations. She was intimate-

ly involved with the

Dakota Nurses Associa-

tion, an activity she as-

pired to, following in her

mother’s footsteps. She

chaired many NDNA com-

mittees over the years,

served as the association’s

president at the state lev-

el, and was awarded the

NDNA District 2 Nurse of

the Year in 1991. Mary

was a charter member of

Omicron Tau – the local

chapter of Sigma Theta

Tau International, a

member of Delta Kappa

Gamma, and served on

the YWCA Board of Direc-

tors. Mary was a lifelong

member of First Lutheran

Church – Minot where

she was baptized and con-

firmed.

Mary was known for

her generous heart, her in-

telligence and integrity,

for having a bright laugh

and for always being open

to fun. She enjoyed

spending time with

friends and colleagues,

having monthly lunches

with cousins, and reading

in her spare time.

Above all, Mary cher-

ished her grandchildren.

She took an active role in

all of their lives and

proudly doted on them.

She frequently taxied “the

girls” to after-school and

weekend activities, and

made every effort to travel

to California to be with

“the boys” any chance she

could. She became affec-

tionately known as

“Gramma Mary” by many

groups of children in both

Minot and San Francisco.

Mary will be missed

tremendously by her chil-

dren, grandkids, family,

friends and colleagues.

Mary’s loving family

includes: her daughters:

Jennifer “Libby” (Christo-

pher) Claerbout and Sara-

Beth (Nathan) Wanzek;

grandchildren: Amelia

and Evelyn Claerbout and

Adler and Emmett Wan-

zek; brothers: Jeffrey

(Kathy) Nielsen and Gary

(Kim) Nielsen;

sister-in-law: Susan Hill

and several nieces,

nephews and cousins.

Mary was preceded in

death by: her parents and

husband.

Public Visitation

(without family present)

will take place Sunday,

March 21 from 3:00 p.m.

to 5:00 p.m. in Thomas

Family Funeral Home in

Minot.

Due to COVID, a ser-

vice for family and inti-

mate friends only will

take place on Tuesday,

March 23, 2021 at 11:00

a.m. in First Lutheran

Church in Minot. All oth-

ers are invited to join a

livestream of the service:

Home

view-worship/

Interment will immedi-

ately follow the service at

Rosehill Memorial Park in

Minot.

Please join Mary’s fami-

ly in June 2021 for a Cele-

bration of Life gathering.

Memorials are preferred

to the Evelyn Nielsen

Scholarship to support

nursing students, c/o

Minot State Foundation.

Memories and con-

dolences may be shared at

www.thomasfamily

funeralhome.com.