Goertzen biography

American artist (1929–2020)

Mary Lou Goertzen (1929–2020) was an American artist, peace activist and Mennonite.

Mary Lou and her late husband Ernie (1926–2004) are the subjects of the do*entary Kind, True and Necessary (2006) by James Knight.

The film do*ents their life of art, Christian pacifism and simple living. Ernie was a conscientious objector and, like his wife, an artist and Mennonite.

Life

They lived in an old schoolhouse in Deadwood, Oregon from 1975.

Kathi goertzen funeral

She was also a member of the Berkeley Friends Meeting (Quaker) and attended the Florence Worship Group, which is connected to the Eugene Friends Meeting. Mary Lou lived until her death in the spacious old schoolhouse and hosted Quaker meetings there every fifth Sunday of the month (if that month had a 5th Sunday).

Mary Lou painted the mural The Community Educates Its Children at the Henderson Community School in Henderson, Nebraska in 1955.

The school, now known as the Heartland Communit