Apr 30, 1930 - Dec 26, 2018

MARY K. PIERSON Librarian, world traveler, community volunteer Mary K. Pierson died peacefully on December 26, 2018 at age 88 in Claremont, California. 

Mary was born on April 30, 1930 in San Francisco at Crissy Field Hospital. She was the daughter General Walter F. Kraus and Aline P. Kraus and had an older sister, Aline K. Grayson. Since her father was an officer in the Air Force, she lived in Hawaii, Washington DC, and other places before settling in Claremont. She lived in Claremont from her teenage years to the present, and even graduated from Claremont High. Mary graduated from Stanford University and majored in French and got a degree in Library Sciences from the University of Southern California. She was the district librarian for Ontario-Montclair School District from which she retired. 

Before and after she retired, she was active in a variety of organizations including the Visiting Nurses Association, Meals on Wheels, Zonta International and others, where she held a variety of offices from Treasurer to President. In her later years she spent many hours volunteering at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens. She also loved to travel and visited many different places. She was a resident of Mt. San Antonio Garden for more than twenty years and was involved with the community there. She attended St. Ambrose Episcopal Church. 

She is survived by her son, Bill Pierson and his wife Jackie Pierson. 

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 4th, 2019 at 2PM in the Gallery at Mt. San Antonio Gardens, Pomona, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations may made to "Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens" where Mary Pierson enjoyed volunteering. https://www.rsabg.org/support/donate

Published in Inland Valley Daily Bulletin on Jan. 1, 2019