Mary Ann Philson

MaryAnn was born July 3, 1932 in Grand Island, Nebraska to Henry and Marie (Sorgenfrei) Hoeltke. From age 3 on, she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Axel and Emma Sorgenfrei, who raised her in the Lutheran faith. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grand Island.

She graduated in 1950 from Grand Island High School, attended Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri, where she was known as “Micki” and graduated in 1953.

On February 6, 1955 she married Kenneth “Max” Philson of Grand Island. They had two children, Greg and Kristin. During this time she worked in Lincoln Nebraska, specializing in surgery at Bryan Memorial Hospital. In July of 1969 the family moved to Denver, Colorado where they became members of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Colorado. She began working at St Luke’s hospital as the supervisor of surgery and retired from there in 1987. In 1992 she returned to work for a few years as an outpatient surgery nurse for Presbyterian Hospital and as a traveling nurse. Her husband died in 1986.

June 9, 1995 she married Jim Piester. Together they enjoyed travelling, polka music and dancing. In her retirement she became more involved in the Mary Martha Society and the Altar Guild at church.

In 2019 they moved up to Greeley, Colorado to live with her daughter and son-in-law, Kris and Greg, and joined Gloria Christi Lutheran Church. In 2021 she moved to Fairacres Manor due to failing health.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Max, her aunt and uncle, Emma and Axel Sorgenfrei, her parents, Henry and Marie (Sorgenfrei) Hoeltke.

She is survived by her husband, Jim Piester; her son Greg (Janet) Philson; daughter Kristin (Greg) Fightmaster; grandchildren Matthew (Kimberly) Philson, Brad Philson, Sara (Darrick) Johnson, Zachary Fightmaster, Keith (Ashley) Fightmaster, Alex Fightmaster; great grandchildren Max and Eliana Johnson, Olive and Ben Philson; Beth-Renee, Nehemiah, Ella and Theo Fightmaster.