Mary Louise Beath

1934 - 2025

janesville, WI - Mary Louise Fluegel Beath passed away on June 29, 2025, in Janesville, WI. She was 90.

Mary Lou was born the third child of C. Ed and Dorothy (Bates) Fluegel, in Canistota, S.D. on July 11, 1934. At the age of three, the family moved to the farm her grandfather had built near Salem, S.D. She went to a one-room country school until she was in eighth grade. She attended Salem schools and graduated from Salem High School in 1952. She was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist Episcopal Church in Salem. During this time, she was very active in band, choir, and piano music. She attended General Beadle State Teacher's College (now Dakota State University) in Madison, S.D. and began her teaching career in 1953 as a music teacher in the Madison School District.

She married Harold Visser in 1954 and they moved first, to Salinas, CA and then to Santa Barbara, CA where she continued teaching in elementary school in Goleta, Cayucos, and Santa Barbara, CA, after completing degrees in Education and Music at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She and her husband adopted two daughters, Yvonne Lee, 1961 and Anita Marie, 1964. She played organ and directed choirs for Christ Lutheran Church for many years in Goleta, CA, and gave private piano lessons to many students. Mary took up painting in this period and went on to memorialize many of her family homes, her travels, still life, and landscape scenes over the years to come. She also began a lifelong love of travel in the 1960s eventually visiting Europe, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, plus all 50 states!

Mary married Sterling S. Beath in 1976 and they established a family home with her daughters and Sterling's two adopted daughters, Debbie and Lisa. Mary and Sterling had a baby, Cathrine Eileen, in 1977 who died at childbirth. With the children grown, Mary and Sterling moved to Port Angeles, Washington in 1984. Mary played organ for the First Presbyterian Church and for a mortuary for many years in Port Angeles. She enjoyed gardening and flowers and together they did RV camping and travel all across the U.S. and Canada. They did volunteer work for the 4 Season's Ranch area in Port Angeles and worked for the Chamber of Commerce as area guides and travel consultants.

In 1994, Sterling and Mary moved to Evansville, Wisconsin. Here they restored a Victorian family home built in 1891 by Sterling's grandfather. Mary enjoyed decorating and improving the structure, interior, and gardens at this historic home as she had done at her other homes before it. She continued her music career with organ work at First Baptist and United Methodist Churches in Evansville.

In her retirement years in Evansville, Mary developed a large "rescued" doll collection, sewing custom doll clothes for each one. Her collection grew to nearly 1,000 dolls at its apex, and her doll room was enjoyed by granddaughters, great-granddaughters and neighborhood children for many years. An enthusiastic preservationist, Mary became involved with "The Grove Society" and "Old House Lovers" groups. She enjoyed decorating and making her Victorian house into a livable, comfortable home, and she and her husband opened their home for the Grove Society house tours many times. Mary and Sterling were active volunteers, delivering Meals on Wheels and becoming involved with Bible School and other church activities while living in Evansville. She was a member of the Evansville Literary Club and continued her painting work which she greatly enjoyed. Mary meticulously chronicled her life through photo albums and journals, documenting her family, experiences, and travels. She also conducted extensive genealogy research on the Beath and Fluegel families and connected with many extended family members.

After 40 years of marriage, Sterling passed away in 2016. Mary remained in Evansville until a new romance with Walter ("Wally") Trudeau prompted a downsizing move to Janesville, Wisconsin in 2020. Wally became Mary's beloved companion, and they enjoyed almost five years together until Wally's passing in March 2025. One of the highlights of their time together was a cruise to Alaska in 2022 bringing Mary to visit her fiftieth state!

Mary is preceded in death by her husband Sterling S. Beath, her parents, Dorothy and Ed Fluegel, her brother John C. Fluegel and her sister-in-law Viola ("Vi") of Mitchell S.D., her brother Dale E. Fluegel of Parkston, S.D., her daughter Yvonne ("Vonnie") L. Corella of Evansville, WI, her stepdaughter Lisa M. Schilling of Monroe, LA, her infant daughter Cathrine Eileen, her son-in-law Bob Cooper of Angier, N.C., and her companion Wally Trudeau of Janesville, WI.

She is survived by her daughter Anita Visser (Shannon Egger) of Alexandria, VA, and her stepdaughter Debbie Cooper of Lillington, N.C. She also is survived by five grandchildren, Joshua Meagher (Dee), Ryan Cooper (Bonnie), Kelli Thompson, Desiree Garibay, and Lance Owen Visser Egger, ten great-grandchildren, beloved nieces Jacque Flattem (Don) and Kathy Dexheimer, and nephew Steve Fluegel (Nancy), plus many dear cousins and friends.

Funeral Services will be held at Maple Hill Cemetery, Evansville. For more information and condolences please visit www.wardhurtley.com