Mary Louise Rapp Hiserodt
Decatur
On Feb. 11, 1922, Mary Louise Rapp was the second of five children born to Dr. and Mrs. Edwin W. Rapp of Aurora, Ill. As an Army physician Dr. Rapp had postings in Duluth, Chicago and Memphis, where Mary was to graduate from high school and marry Edward Franklin Hiserodt Jr. Two children were born there, Edward Franklin III and Martha Louise. Mary was president of the PTA, worked as a real estate agent and was active in the international sisterhood, P.E.O. In 1957 she and her family moved to Decatur, where she was the Welcome Wagon hostess for many years until taking a position in the actuary department of Mutual Savings Life Insurance Co. An avid duplicate bridge player and member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church choir for two decades, Mary was also a founding member of P.E.O. Chapter Q Decatur in 1974. Mrs. Hiserodt is survived by her two children, Ed Hiserodt of Maumelle, Ark., and Martha Johnson of Decatur; three sisters, Katherine Wein of Memphis, Helen Rittenour of Montgomery and Ruth Wilcox of Birmingham. She was preceded in death by her brother, George Rapp of Dallas. Mary was "Grandmary" to nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. The grandchildren are Scott Hiserodt, Ben Hiserodt, Jennifer Hiserodt Cormier, Jill Hiserodt Karnik, Matthew Johnson and Sarah Johnson Pilgrim. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Gabriel Stuart Johnson of Athens, who passed away suddenly on March 10, 2010. Mary Louise Rapp Hiserodt passed away March 17, 2010, at the River City Rehabilitation Center. It was Mrs. Hiserodt''s wish that her body be donated to the Genesis program of Medical Education & Research Institute (M.E.R.I) in Memphis. Donations in her honor may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church or the P.E.O. The family will gather this summer to celebrate Ms. Hiserodt''s life during a private family memorial.