Mary Katherine Wiper • 1976 - 2004

Mary Katherine Wiper, 28, Albuquerque, New Mexico, formerly of Bowbells, Grand Forks and Billings, MT, died Sunday, August 1, 2004, as the result of a lightning strike while hiking in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Mary Katherine Wiper was born on June 21, 1976 in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Ray and Sandra (Wockenfuss) Wiper. The family lived in Sioux City, Iowa and Beresford, SD, before moving to Bowbells, North Dakota in March of 1978. Mary attended grade school and high school in Bowbells, graduating from Bowbells High School in 1994. While in high school, she participated in cheerleading, speech, band and chorus, was a class officer, and co-editor of the year book. She also attended Girls State and was elected the Superintendent of Public Instruction. She attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND in the fall of 1994, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Honors Program, Magna Cum Laude in May of 1999, majoring in English, with a minor in women's studies. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior in 1998. While at UND, she participated in the UND Writer’s Conference, sang in the UND Chorus, volunteered at the North Dakota Museum of Art, and actively participated in an environmental organization, working to establish an Earth Day celebration, and a long-term recyclying system on campus.

Following graduation from UND, she accepted a position for the Sierra Club in the summer of 1999 working in the Badlands of South Dakota. That fall, she accepted a full time position as a Conservation Organizer for the Billings, Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club. While in Billings, Mary volunteered her time to help children learn to read. Members of the conservation community remember her as a passionate advocate whose bright personality helped soften the edges of controversy over environmental issues in Montana, and subsequently in New Mexico. Wiper worked in Billings for two and a half years, notably on efforts to protect Weatherman Draw. During 2002, Wiper was successful with spearheading an effort to preserve sacred Native American lands, known as The Valley of the Chiefs, or Weatherman Draw, which contains 1,100-year-old rock art that is sacred to several tribes. She utilized her many talents to bring together broadly diffierent individuals and entities, such as activists, local and national tribal members, local and national legislators, geologists, attorneys, archeologists, oil industry representives, and Bureau of Land Management personnel. As a result of their efforts, the oil and gas company dropped plans to drill at Weatherman Draw.

She left Billings in February 2003 when a grant that funded her position ended. In May 2003, Wiper was rehired and promoted as Sierra Club's Associate Field Representative for the Southwest. Her offices were located in Albuquerque, N.M., where she worked mostly on energy issues. She oversaw projects in New Mexico, including the Sierra
Club's participation in campaigns against oil and gas drilling at Otero Mesa
and coal mining at the Zuni Salt Lake.

She was widely respected by Montana and New Mexico's environmental communities and
will be remembered as dedicated, thoughtful and always upbeat. A public memorial service was held in her honor at La Posada de Albuquerque.

Mary cultivated relationships with people of all ages and walks of life wherever she went. Mary was a loving, gentle, and generous daughter, sister, and friend. "Mary was a warm, wonderful, caring person," said Stephen Capra,executive director of the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. "The whole
situation is a tragedy and an enormous loss to the conservation community in New Mexico." Jeanne Bassett, executive director of the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group, agreed. "Mary had only been in the state a short time and had already made tremendous contributions through her work to protect New Mexico's health and environment," she said. All those who knew Mary will remember her warmth, enthusiasm, integrity, and love of life. Our loss is great and but our memories of her life, laughter and joy will be with us always.

Survivors: Mother, Sandra Wiper, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Father and step-mother, Ray (Joyce) Wiper, Bowbells; sister, Ann (Peter) Gerber, Studio City, California; brother, Robert Wiper, Eden Prairie, MN; four step siblings, Chad (Donna) Mahlum, Surrey, ND, Cameron Mahlum, White Bear Lake, MN; Chara (Chris) Anderson, Apple Valley, MN and Charisse (Devin) Rawn, Prescott, WI; aunts and uncles, John (Bev) Wiper, Mpls, MN, Clyde Wiper, Minot; Joan (Gene) Guidebeck, Clinton, Iowa, Ed (Lynn) Wockenfuss, Louisville, Kentucky. A number of cousins also survive.

She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Edgar and Marie (Knutson) Wockenfuss, Elmhurst, IL, and Raymond and Violet (Norlin) Wiper, Bowbells, ND.

Memorial Service: Saturday, August 7, 2004 at 2 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bowbells, ND

Visitation: Saturday, August 7, 2004 from noon until 2 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Bowbells. The family will be present at that time to visit with friends and family.

Memorials are preferred to the Sierra Club, a Humane Society or Pet Rescue, or the UND Honor’s Program. Memorials received by the family will be divided among these organizations or you may choose to forward them individually in her name

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