Mary Van Hooser Obituary

Mary Helen Van Hooser, 88, died Saturday, Oct. 23 in Fairfax, Va. Born Aug. 22, 1922 in Edwardsville, Ill., to Robert Aaron and Mary Agnes (Burns) Caulk, she was raised in Edwardsville and graduated from Edwardsville High School in 1940. Following graduation, Mary worked for the Illinois Bell Telephone Co., operating a plug-in switchboard. She later worked for Emerson Electric in St. Louis, Mo., making parts for gun turrets for B-29 bombers. She married Homer Van Hooser on Aug. 19, 1943 in Mitchell, Ill. Following their marriage, they were stationed at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wy., where she worked on post for civil service. While her husband was deployed to the South Pacific for World War II, she returned to Edwardsville and worked for the State Office of Unemployment. As a career military family, the Van Hoosers lived on army posts around the United States, including Kansas, Indiana, Virginia and Washington, D.C. They also had two overseas tours in Germany and Japan. During that time Mary volunteered as a Red Cross "Grey Lady" in various military medical support positions and was active with Girl Scouts. Following military retirement in 1962, the family settled in Colorado Springs, where Mary was active in the Retired Officers' Wives Club the Fort Carson Garden Club, enjoyed bowling and golf, and the companionship of several family beagles. She and her husband were active members of St. Raphael's Episcopal Church and later Chapel of Our Savior, and Mary was a volunteer at the Episcopal Church Women's Thrift House in Colorado Springs. Following his second retirement, Mary and Homer traveled extensively around the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska and also across Canada. After Homer's death in 1999, Mary continued to live in Colorado Springs until 2003, when she moved to Fairfax, Va. She is survived by a daughter, Linda Peters of Greeley, Colo., her son, Robert Van Hooser of Burke, Va., five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Local services have been scheduled for 1:30 pm on November 20th at St. Raphael's Episcopal Church. Memorial contributions may be sent to local Alzheimer's Associations, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo or to St. Raphael's Episcopal Church, 802 Leta Drive, Colorado Springs, Co, 80911. Inurnment will be at the Chapel of Our Savior Columbarium in Colorado Springs. The family may be contacted via St. Raphael's.