Mary Tron

https://vimeo.com/event/1158695 Mary Tron, 71, Moorhead, MN died Saturday, July 17, 2021 at Hospice House-Sanford. Mary (Erickson) Tron was born to Lloyd and Arlene (Bredeson) Erickson on August 6, 1949 in Jamestown, ND. She attended elementary school at Grand Prairie and Valley City before graduating from Fargo North High in 1967. Mary attended Moorhead State University for two years, during which she met Philip Tron in September of 1967. In 1969 she transferred to the University of North Dakota’s School of Nursing using an Army scholarship to pay for her education. In May of 1971 she and Phil married in Fargo. Mary graduated from UND in 1972 with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. After graduation she began her active duty, first at Ft Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX where she learned the basics of Army life. Then she moved to the US Army Field Hospital at Ft Hood, TX. On December 23, 1972 her unit was mobilized in response to an earthquake in Nicaragua. While in Texas Mary and Phil enjoyed camping and visiting places like Big Bend National Park. In December of 1973 Mary was transferred to the 2nd Field Hospital in Bremerhaven, West Germany. During her time there she achieved the rank of Captain. While in Europe they traveled around Germany, to Denmark, and the Netherlands. Mary was also able to enjoy a trip to Sweden with some nursing friends. While in Germany Mary and Phil enjoyed visits from his parents and her brother, but they faced their biggest adventure of all: parenthood. Sarah was born in August 1974 in Frankfurt, West Germany. Mary was discharged in December of 1975 and they returned to the Fargo area. She worked at St. Luke’s Hospital and took classes in Norwegian, rosemaling, and cake decorating. Their second daughter, Emily, was born in September 1979 in Fargo and their family was complete. The Trons moved to Devils Lake, ND in 1980 and Mary worked at Mercy Hospital. She enjoyed working in her large garden while they lived there, and she began to cross-stitch avidly. They moved to Hazen, ND in August 1983 and Mary got to enjoy life at home for a few years. Her gardens were as large as her circle of friends. Mary enjoyed regular coffee visits with her friends, and they had groups that exercised and played games together. She taught Sunday School and was a Girl Scout troop leader. The family enjoyed camping, boating, fishing, and traveling. It was during her time in Hazen that she began to quilt, a hobby she enjoyed until the end. Her quilts will be on display during her funeral service. The Trons took trips to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks, but their biggest adventure was the Tron Family Rock Tour in 1990 when they drove to the Grand Canyon and back stopping at nearly every National Park along the way. Mostly looking at rocks. On that trip Mary taught her girls how to eat an ice cream cone, held onto the waistbands of their pants so they wouldn’t fall into the Grand Canyon, and later refused to look out the window when Phil drove over a suspension bridge. They all relished the patch of green grass they encountered in Vernal, UT and stayed an extra night to enjoy it. Mary enjoyed working in her garden and her flower beds and even laid the foundation for her pergola in the backyard. She won the Yard of the Week award from the Hazen Garden Club. Mary worked at the Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen for more than 20 years, winning employee of the year in 2005. While working there she got to know the members of the community and made some lifelong friends. She retired from nursing in 2011. Mary and Phil moved to Moorhead, MN in the fall of 2013 to be closer to their family. During their retirement they took their dream trip to Alaska-twice, and drove around Lake Superior to look at light houses. They also enjoyed lakeside camping and looking at the fall foliage in Minnesota. Their most recent trip was to New Orleans with her cousin, Monica, and her husband. Mary also enjoyed traveling with her daughters to New York City, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington DC, and Minneapolis. Her house in Moorhead doesn’t have a vegetable garden but does have some of the most amazing flowerbeds in town. The reception hall at Boulger will feature vases with flowers that she planted and nurtured. The pergola in the backyard was completed just prior to her death. Mary and Phil celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May, 28, 2021 with a party for family and friends. Mary is preceded in death by her parents and her brother Mike, and many beloved dogs and cats. She is survived and will be deeply missed by her husband Philip, her daughter Sarah (both of Moorhead); her daughter, Emily, of Fargo; her brothers Chuck (Betty Jo) Erickson of Devils Lake and David Erickson of Fargo; and her sisters Paula (Brian) Olmstead and Nancy (Jerry) Mykelseth of Moorhead; as well as her nieces Stacy, Leah, Hannah, Paige, and Olivia and her nephews Brian, Kevin, Zach, and John. She is also missed by her dog, Rosie, and kitty, Violet.