January 2, 1956 – October 9, 2025
Mamie Louise Deckard, 69, was born January 2, 1956 in Iowa City, Iowa. She was placed at Children’s Home in Davenport, Iowa at just two months old and remained in their care until 1959 when she was moved to Woodward State Hospital and School. She lived at Woodward until 1964. Mamie was taken in by a foster family in Mason City, IA in 1964 and remained there until moving to Handicap Village (now One Vision) in 1983.
Mamie would spend the next 42 years as a beloved member of the One Vision family, starting off in an RCF location and then moving to Moon Valley cottage in 1993 and Executive Cottage in 2016. In recent years, she lived in various community settings with roommates and dedicated Direct Support Staff that assisted her with living her best life.
Mamie never met a stranger and was quick to call you “Honey” and tell you, “My birthdays coming up!” with an excited smile. Mamie’s birthday was always “coming up,” and she was always excited to talk about her birthday menu, which consisted of either chicken or spaghetti. She took an annual vacation with her special friend and former staff member, Jan Cole. This was the highlight of her year. She loved coffee, pop, candy, and pizza. She liked to go out to eat, especially at McDonalds. Mamie loved to collect blankets and show off her bedroom. She had a large collection of stuffed animals, which she loved to rope unsuspecting people into moving from one side of her room to the other.
“Will you help me with my room, Honey?” She loved having her nails trimmed and painted, typically bright red. She loved to go shopping and celebrating holidays. She enjoyed Christmas music any time of the year but her favorite song was “Jesus Loves Me.” When she wasn’t busy being a social butterfly, she enjoyed rocking in her favorite chair and taking naps.
Mamie brought joy to all that knew her. Her passing was unexpected and has left a hole in the hearts of countless former staff and roommates. She will be deeply missed!
Memorial services for Mamie will be held 11:00 am, Friday, October 24, 2025 at One Vision Kinney-Lindstrom Center, 600 Glen Oaks Drive, in Clear Lake, Iowa. Inurnment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. Gathering of friends will be held one hour prior to services.
Fullerton Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 123 2nd ST SE, Mason City, Iowa 50401 641-423-8676. Fullertonfh.com Facebook/Fullertonfuneralhomes.
NOTE: Mamie has NO family and limited funds. She had profound Intellectual Disability. She died just after midnight with only the hospital staff by her side.
If you read the obit written by her case worker, you will understand she had no blood relatives, but she had kinship through her friends and fellow residents of One Vision.
Even though she had intellectual disability, she made a good life with what she had. She was looking forward to Halloween this year because she was inviting Pirates.
She had a good life, living within her own small world and her reality of what she perceived, not necessarily what we on the outside perceive. These two worlds were not identical.
But she was safe within her world, and safe where people cared, laughed with her, and protected her.
Just thought you might like to know the back story along with the obit.
fullertonfh.com