Mary Wilson, 71, of Costa Mesa, CA and formerly of Leeds, ND, gifted librarian, beloved wife, mother of two and grandmother of five entered heaven on Christmas Day, 2017 in Costa Mesa, CA. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday, January 13, 2018 at the North Prairie Lutheran Church in rural Leeds, ND with Pastor Michael Rohrer officiating. Visitation will begin one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will take place at the North Prairie Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Mary Ann Ahlberg was born December 18, 1947, on a farm north of Leeds to Ernest and Genevieve Ahlberg. She grew up on the farm with three brothers, riding calves, milking cows, and slinging snakes. She attended Minot State College, where she met history professor John Wilson and, eight months later, married him. They alternated living in Minot and Washington, D.C., before settling in Olathe, Kansas, where they raised their two daughters, Amy and Christie.

Mary tried many jobs, including inner city school junior high teacher, substitute music teacher, secretary, learning center writing specialist, and degree completion counselor. An outstanding student, she earned a Master of Arts in Humanities and a Master's of Library Science. With the latter degree, she found her calling as a librarian at Vanguard University when she and John moved to Costa Mesa, California, in 1989. As head librarian, she oversaw the computerization of the library.

Throughout her life, Mary was an avid reader and loved book clubs, staying informed about current events, and being involved in church as a pianist, soloist, choir member, and deacon. She was known for her excellent cooking and baking, her quick wit, her lovely alto singing voice, her love of road trips with John, her sharp editing skills, and her dedication to her children and grandchildren.