Mary Kimball

Mary Kimball

Mary Johan Kimball passed away on March 7, 2014, in Springfield, Missouri. She was born on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia in the village of Parsingkaman to Joe Tek Hie (father) and Wong Len Tji Nio (mother). She was the youngest of eight children and is survived four other siblings: Yoe Sim Boen, Tante Pauline, Yoe Sim Choan, and Tante Cory. She married Robert (Bob) Harold Kimball in 1972. To this union was born Danny Joseph Kimball and two grandchildren (Sophia and Julian). Mary was preceded in death by her husband Bob. She worked for the US Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, as an interpreter and an administrative assistant until 1972. As a spouse of a State Department employee, the family was assigned to Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Karachi, Pakistan, Rome, Italy, Brussels, Belgium, and to Jakarta again before Bob's retirement in 1986. Mary enjoyed traveling immensely as it fed her natural curiosity about world cultures. While in the foreign countries, Mary would intrepidly explore her surroundings sometimes with friends, sometimes alone, and she usually picked up a basic to a working proficiency in the local language.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2014, at 11:00 AM, with funeral services to follow at 12:00 noon in the Walnut Lawn Funeral Home Chapel, Springfield, Missouri, with Pastor Andy Bryan officiating.

Special thanks to Pastor Andy and Victoria Grasmick from the Campbell United Methodist Church for all their help and support.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to the VFW Post 3404 in Springfield, MO.