Mary Louise Catherine Richter
May 12, 1943 ~ July 17, 2026
Born in:
North Buena Vista, IA
Resided in:
Ionia, IA
Mary Louise Catherine (Boge) Richter, age 83, of Ionia, Iowa, passed away on Friday, July 17, 2026.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
She was born May 12, 1943, in North Buena Vista, Iowa, to Norbert Boge and Loretta Dean. She moved to Chickasaw County in 1950 and attended Maple Grove Country School and St. Boniface Church and School. She graduated from Nashua High School in 1962, after being welcomed into the family of Leslie and Rosalie Turner.
She attended junior college before beginning a 50-year career in retail fashion. In 1969, she met Bernie Richter, and they married that October. The couple built their country home near Ionia in 1972. In 1975, they welcomed their daughter, Lisa, and founded the retail fashion store Saxony, which grew to include multiple locations serving the Charles City and surrounding communities.
Mary Lou was an avid environmentalist, known for her efforts to conserve and restore native Iowa tallgrass prairie on her property, including rare orchids and native wildlife.
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Richter, and son-in-law Nathan Hesnard; grandson Ryder Hesnard-Richter; partner Thomas Dolan; and many loved siblings, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bernie Richter.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
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Aunt Mary was very soecial to us. We enjoyed playing cards, visiting and going to her house to cut wood. I am sure she has reunited with Uncle Bernie!! ❤️
We will miss Aunt Mary!! We always enjoyed our visits, sometimes we played cards, or we just visited or we spent our time outside cutting wood!! We know she is at peace and with Uncle Bernie!! ❤️