Mary Leona Demarest

Mary L. Demarest, age 91, formerly of Kansas City died peacefully on April 23, 2018 at Country Club Care Center in Warrensburg, MO. A graveside service will be held Saturday, May 5, 2018, at 1pm at Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookfield, MO. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to the American Stroke Foundation https://americanstroke.org/

Mary was born October 20, 1926 in Brookfield to parents Hershel and Dora (Burnett) Nickerson. She married Lewis Demarest on November 30, 1946 in Troy, KS. The couple made their home in Brookfield where they raised two daughters, Becky and Betsy. You might remember their business on S. Main called Mary's Cafe. In 1969 Mary and Lewis sold their cafe and moved to Excelsior Springs, MO. Mary was in the shoe business when Lewis passed in 1980 and decided to move to Kansas City, MO to be near her daughters. Mary retired from the Hush Puppy Shoe Store at Antioch Mall in 1988 and moved to Liberty, MO. In 1992 she moved back to KC to live with daughter Betsy.

During the ten years that followed you might have seen Mary at Hampton Inn Airport serving breakfast, selling flowers at Tobler's, or hosting a dance at Moe's. She continued to work until she was 75 years young. In 2002 she met Darrell Kauer. Later they found the Gardens in NKC. Mary helped Darrell settle in and in doing so she found her next home. Mary lived at the Gardens, enjoying the Morning Glories breakfast group and Saturday morning coffees until 2013 when she moved to Wexford Place in KC North. At Wexford Mary enjoyed bean bag baseball and Friday afternoon happy hours. She loved being part of the festivities.

In 2016, daughter Betsy got married and moved out of KC so Mary moved to Country Club Care in Warrensburg. You could always find her playing bingo or railroad spelling. Her mind was sharp but her body was weak. She definitely slid in home saying, "Oh what a ride!"

Mary is survived by her daughter, Betsy Brown of Kingsville, MO, sister, Wilma Jean Elliott of Olathe, KS, sister-in-law Doris Demarest of Brookfield; three nephews and three nieces.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis Demarest, daughter, Becky Johnson, and mother and father, Dora and Hershel Nickerson.