CLEAR LAKE — Mary Ann Hendricks, a Clear Lake woman whose long life was filled with faith, books, teaching, art, service, family and a deep love of nature, died June 6, 2026, at Rockwell Community Nursing Home in Rockwell. She was 95.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, June 12, 2026, at Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 310 First Avenue North in Clear Lake, with Rev. Josh Link officiating. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue until the service. Inurnment will take place later at Clear Lake Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Clear Lake Public Library, Central Gardens of North Iowa, MercyOne Hospice of North Iowa or a charity of the donor’s choice.
Mary Ann was born February 26, 1931, to Vera Marie Simpkins at the farm home of her grandparents, Carl and Mary Simpkins. Vera later married Dr. John K. Johnson, who adopted Mary Ann and loved her as his own.
Mary Ann graduated from Jefferson High School in 1949. She attended Stephens College for Women before transferring to the University of Iowa, where she earned degrees in English and education.
On August 24, 1952, Mary Ann married James Y. Hendricks. Their love story began long before adulthood. The two met in Jefferson, and Mary Ann liked to say she had picked out the love of her life when his family came to town during their fifth-grade year.
Together, Mary Ann and Jim built a family and considered their sons, John and Tom, their greatest blessings.
Mary Ann was a woman of deep faith, curiosity, creativity, intellect and compassion. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Clear Lake, where she taught religious education classes and chaired the Social Concerns Committee. She was also an Oblate of Saint Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and was involved as a prayer leader and small group member at Zion Lutheran Church in Clear Lake.
Education was one of the great passions of her life. Mary Ann taught English for many years, including in Fort Benning, Georgia, Iowa City, Garner, Nora Springs and at Mason City Newman. She believed in learning not only as a career, but as a lifelong calling.
She was an avid reader, a writer and a lover of poetry. She continued taking classes for years and left her family a rich collection of stories and poems she had written. She also self-published a children’s book and “Kitchen Cupboard Quotes,” a collection inspired by the many meaningful sayings she taped to her kitchen cupboards over the years.
Mary Ann also gave generously to her community. She was instrumental in the development and growth of the Clear Lake Public Library and the Clear Lake Arts Center. She also served for many years as a board member of the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.
Her service extended into healthcare and hospice work. Mary Ann volunteered in several roles at Mercy Hospital in Mason City and was one of the founding members of North Iowa Hospice.
At home, Mary Ann’s creativity often showed through cooking, sewing, knitting and quilting. Her family will remember her cinnamon rolls as legendary. When her sons were in high school, she often fed the entire football team, preparing roasts, hams and pancakes that disappeared almost as quickly as they were served.
Mary Ann loved to sew and knit and made beautiful quilts for family and friends. She and Jim traveled widely, and after Jim’s death, Mary Ann spent many winters in Naples, Florida, near family.
Her love of nature was lifelong and heartfelt. She especially loved horses and said she could not remember a time when that was not true. Some of her favorite memories came from wilderness pack trips to Wyoming and Montana, as well as rides along Iowa country roads. She and Jim also loved dogs, and their home was rarely without one or two.
Above all, Mary Ann’s greatest joy was her family — both the family she was born into and the family she chose through friendship. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought her endless joy, and those closest to her said her truest legacy was not only in what she accomplished, but in how deeply she loved people and made them feel valued.
Her sons summed up that love with humor and tenderness: “We always knew we were loved — we just didn’t know if we’d survive it.”
Mary Ann also left behind words of gratitude and hope: “I am thankful beyond words for all the joys and gifts of my years and looking forward to what lies ahead. Since love has so abundantly filled my life surely it lies ahead of me, too.”
Mary Ann is survived by her sons, Dr. John Hendricks and his wife Kathy of Clear Lake, and Thomas Hendricks and his wife Allyson of Clear Lake; grandchildren James Hendricks and his wife Jessica of Urbandale, and Megan Peters and her husband Joe of Waukee; great-grandchildren Avery and Cole Hendricks and Sloane and Jett Peters; and other family members and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. John K. and Vera Johnson; her husband, Dr. James Y. Hendricks; sisters-in-law Donita Fatland and Meredith Myers; and her beloved aunt, Cleopha Luther.
The family expressed deep gratitude to Mary Ann’s in-home caregivers, Marsha Bezely, Shannon Schwenn, Val Borchardt and Ashley Groves, as well as the staff at Rockwell Community Nursing Home and MercyOne North Iowa Hospice.
In accordance with her wishes, Mary Ann’s body was donated to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine for medical education and research.
Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel is handling arrangements. To read more and see the full obituary, please click here.
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