Mary Hendrickson Obituary

There she was, a small-town girl.  She would write to encourage and help others.  Her quiet presence was an anchor for many.  As a sister, she wanted to face her fears with swimming lessons-only to confirm her fear of water.  As a friend, she shared her life with stories and pictures of the family she loved so much.  As a wife, she didn't always know what to say, but showed her love by turning off the TV to listen to the echoes of the country, guitar music that came from the basement where her husband was playing.  As a mom, she found joy in protecting and decorating the Custer airport for her son.  As a grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was a constant support in sharing her knowledge and love.

This small-town girl, Mary, loved arts and crafts, interior decoration and listening to gospel music.  Collecting memorabilia for scrapbooking and decorating the house would bring a quiet smile to her face.  She had many friends and would meet for Bible studies to talk about Jesus and his promises.  She liked a good joke and could turn the most serious moment into a silly one.  Mary enjoyed being a mother, grandmother and a great-grandmother.  With a camera on her cell phone, she captured thousands of precious moments.

Mary Hendrickson was born May 8, 1950, in Hot Springs, SD.  She died peacefully at her home, surrounded by ones she loved, in Custer, May 14, 2022, due to a number of conditions.

Mary was born to George and Doris Monsen.  She was raised as one of seven girls.  She worked at the family business, the Conee Corral Drive-inn Restaurant, in downtown Custer.  She did waitressing, cooking and making milk shakes with her siblings.  Her sister, Judi, was her best friend.  Her favorite color was purple and most household items from the kitchen cupboards to the end of the house were purple.

Mary was a real-estate broker at Western Real Estate.  Mary enjoyed helping her sister, Judi, with the clerical, bookkeeping duties in Mississippi for her sister's business.

In 1972, she met the love of her life, Roy Hendrickson.  She married a charismatic, country rockstar who played her heart strings along with a guitar.  He gave her two children whom she worked hard to teach them about Jesus, shield from life's hardships and show her love.  They built a happy home together.

Mary is survived by her husband, Roy Hendrickson; son, Brenden Hendrickson and daughter, Rhea Plaisted.  Her granddaughters are Justine (Austin) Wagner; Marilyn Hendrickson; Jiselle Plaisted and great grandchildren, Zaiden Wagner and Aisley Wagner.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, George and Doris Monsen; her infant brother, George and sister, Kathy.

There will not be a memorial service in respect for Mary's wishes.

Arrangements have been placed under the local direction of Chamberlain McColley's Funeral Home in Custer, SD.