Mary Ann Vidricksen, 91, died peacefully on Sunday, March 3, 2024 at Lindsborg Community Hospital in Lindsborg, Kansas. Mary Ann was born August 11, 1932 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to John Tillman Wood and Esther Dewdrop (Shaver) Wood. Mary Ann was the middle child of three children, the eldest Kenneth Wood and the youngest Waunita Johnephine (Wood) Gallagher. Mary Ann graduated from Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Kansas, in 1950, as one of the four graduates in her class.
Mary Ann met her future husband Norman Lee Vidricksen on a blind date arranged by her brother KT. They were married August 6, 1950 in Winfield, Kansas. To this union, 3 children were born, Daniel Dean “Boone”, Henry Lee and Sandra Ann. Mary Ann worked as a bank teller at the Fourth National Bank in Wichita, KS, until Norman and Mary Ann purchased and started Vidricksen Distributing Company, an Anhauser-Busch Distributorship in 1963.
Besides helping with the family business, she enjoyed bowling on leagues with her friends and being involved with the American Paint Horse Association. Mary Ann served several terms as President and Secretary of the Kansas Paint Horse Association along with being a National Director for the State of Kansas with APHA. She spent several years traveling and showing paint horses with her daughter Sandy and granddaughter Stacie. Mary Ann also enjoyed attending church at Peace Lutheran Church in New Cambria.
Survivors include her son Daniel “Boone” Vidricksen of Salina KS, her daughter-in-law Phyllis Vidricksen of Brookville KS and her daughter Sandy (James) Spani of Salina KS. Her grandchildren, Stacie (Patrick) Lundquist of Brookville, KS, Boone (Nashlyn) Vidricksen of Hays, KS, Ashley Vidricksen of Wichita, KS, Audrey (Josh) Cook of Salina, KS, Megan Vidricksen of Oahu, Hi, Sidney Vidricksen of Brookville, KS and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Vidricksen; son, Henry “Hank” Vidricksen; brother, Kenneth “KT” Wood; and sister, Waunita Gallagher.
Visitation will be 5 – 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at Ryan Mortuary, Salina. A funeral service with be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 8th at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Salina. Burial will be at the Brookville City Cemetery. Following the burial, family and friends are invited to gather at Martinelli’s Little Italy in Salina.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Peace Lutheran Church, New Cambria Kansas for the Mary Ann Vidricksen Memorial Picnic/Shelter House, or to the American Paint Horse Association Foundation, Fort Worth, Texas to support Youth Scholarships in care of Ryan Mortuary.