Mary is a true Albertan, having been born in the Peace River country in 1918 at the end of the first World War and in the midst of the great flu epidemic. She believes that her lifelong good health may have something to do with the resistance her body built up during that era. She feels that she has been lucky all her life in many ways.

After her early education and graduation from high school in 1936, Mary attended Normal School in Edmonton and qualified to become a teacher after one year. One of her classmates was a young man called Gordon Nimmons. She sat near the back of the room and he sat at the front with a group of friends. She became aware of him as he kept continually backing up a row each day until he was sitting near her. That was the beginning of their friendship

Mary and Gordon both went on to teach after that year of teacher training, but in different towns. Mary taught in small towns, the first of which was Buffalo Lake west of Sexsmith, Alberta. She describes teaching all nine grades in a one-room school. The teaching didn’t worry her too much, but she was taken aback to find out that one of the main expectations of the community was that there must be a Christmas concert. Despite the fact she didn’t know where to start, she pulled it off with the help of some advice from an ex-teacher from the community:  Have something funny, something pretty, some singing, and a play!

In the meantime, Gordon had taught briefly, then moved to Guelph to study veterinary medicine.  He moved back to Edmonton after graduation to set up a practice which he was to enjoy for many years. Mary and Gordon married in 1943. It was a small wedding -- only 23 people in attendance which included five Marys! It turned out to be a sound, fulfilling and mostly joyful marriage.

They had three boys, Larry, Dick and Randy.  Larry now lives in Spruce Grove with his wife Kathy. Mary has two grandchildren from this union, Jason and Liza, and a great-granddaughter, Sydney. Dick lives in Vancouver.  Sadly, Randy lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident when he was a teenager, a profound sorrow in their lives. The boys didn’t carry on church membership into adulthood, but Mary believes they have retained their Unitarian values.

The Nimmons discovered the Unitarian church in the early 1960s when Gordon met Diantha Horton at a demonstration in support of Cuba. Diantha was married to Rev. Bill Horton, minister of the Unitarian Church of  Edmonton. The Nimmons and Hortons became good friends and Mary and Gordon decided to join the church. Mary had been raised in the United Church by a very Christian mother, who predicted that she would eventually have a deathbed repentance, Mary laughs.

The Nimmons found the Unitarian church and its philosophy very much to their liking and they quickly found many good friends among their fellow church goers. Mary reported that the congregation was smaller then and it was conducive to the development of strong ties among members. When they joined, the services were held in a former Presbyterian church at the corner of 110 Avenue and 126 Street. Later, this building was replaced by a new church building on the same site.

The names of many early church friends tumble over each other as Mary recollects. The Nimmons’ very good friends, Charm and Jack Allen and Florence and Stan Campbell, acting on their advice, actually followed them into the church. Others who came to mind were Dick and Laura Morton, Ruth and Freeman Patrick, Effie and Bill Harper, Don and Doris Pimm, Mary Van Stolk, Clarence and Del Collins, Elaine Roberts, and many more.

 For some years church members grouped themselves into ‘extended families’ according to where they lived in the city and then met for suppers, outings and special occasions. 

Mary recalls a number of ministers after Bill Horton left and appreciated each of them for their special qualities. She says that Rev. Bob Wrigley’s excellent sermons became well known and drew many people into the church. She found Rev. Rob Brownlie to be a wonderful pastor and friend, who enjoyed visiting his parishoners in their homes and was most compassionate and helpful at the sad time of Gordon’s sudden death in 1987.

Rev. John Marsh, because of his youth, attracted young people to the church and delighted everyone by marrying Alison Patrick, a daughter of the congregation.

Mary spoke of some very intellectual members of the congregation, who formed a separate group that split off from the church in order to pursue deeper study. Some referred to them as the “Blue Stockings”. Later, a few of these returned for occasional visits.

Mary and Gordon loved to travel, especially in central and south America. At the time that Gordon was considering retirement they spent a full year travelling through all the countries of the southern Americas and became quite proficient in the Spanish language. For a time they acted as ‘accompanying gringos’ acting as companions to people who were in danger of  being attacked if they left their houses alone in turbulent times. Mary says there was “really nothing to it”, but it sounds adventurous as well as being a very humanitarian gesture.

Mary is now living in a very comfortable seniors’ apartment in Rosedale Villa in Edmonton.

She enjoys coming to church as often as strength and opportunity allow. One of her new friends in her apartment complex recently asked her how old she is. When she said quite proudly that she would be 90 on her next birthday the friend said:  “Oh, I thought you were older”.  Mary laughs heartily when she relates this story on herself.  It gives us an insight into the positive attitude and sense of humour that allow her to say:  “Yes, I’ve had a very satisfying life with many interesting friends and many fun times -- a very happy life!”

[Interviewed in 2008]
Photos courtesy: Collection of M. Nimmons