Mary B. Beauvais, 91, Sturgis, died Wednesday, September 12, 2007, at the Sturgis Regional Senior Care Center.

Mary was born July 15, 1916, at Lead, SD, to Jim and Helen (Spevacek) Bursik. She grew up and attended elementary and high school at Revenna, NE. She taught for a short time and began tutoring students. From 1940 through 1941 she attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Mary served her country during World War II as a Navy WAV in Hawaii from 1942 until 1945. In 1946, she moved to New York City and lived with her sister. It was in New York that she interned as a medical technologist.

She returned to Lead and married Raymond C. Beauvais at Lead, SD, on July 7, 1949. The couple lived in Lead and Mary worked at the Homestake Hospital in Lead until she retired in 1985.

They moved to Sturgis in the summer of 1986 and Mary volunteered at Ft. Meade. She was also a member of the Meade County Senior Citizens Center.

Survivors include her son, Mark Beauvais, Sturgis; one sister, Betty Flemming, Elk City, OK; three grandchildren, Amber, Seth and Hannah Beauvais; and one great-grandson, Maximus Clevenger.

She was preceded in death by her husband and one brother, Don.

A memorial has been established to the Alzheimer's Association.

Funeral services will be Monday, September 17, 2007, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sturgis with Fr. John Wedgwood officiating. Burial with military honors by the Sturgis Veteran's Honor Guard will follow at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis.