Mary Ellen Hale was born in Lyons, Nebraska, on April 30, 1929, to Henry and Selma Krumwiede. She passed away on March 27, 2025, in Lompoc, California, at age 95.

The eldest of five children, Mary was a graduate of Trinity Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing (Class of 1951) in Kansas City, Missouri. She began working in her teens in her parents' bakery. After graduating from nursing school, she worked for many years as an Operating Room Nurse at St. Bernadine's Hospital in San Bernardino, California. She continued her nursing career in Solvang for a few short years after moving to the Central Coast with her husband, Carl. Mary enjoyed volunteering at the Lompoc Food Pantry, tending to her home and yard, helping out with Rotary Club activities, and keeping in touch with family and friends.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband and partner, Carl F. Hale, Jr., and is survived by three generations of much-loved family members and friends. She will be remembered as a kind and resilient individual who was a faithful friend, a good listener, a dedicated caregiver, and a thoughtful neighbor.