Mary Helen Hickman, age, 90, died peacefully on August 25, 2018 at Westview Care Center in Indianola.  Mary was born in rural Warren County on October 28, 1927, the daughter of Carrie (Miller) and Glen Hickman.

Mary was a proud single woman who successfully ran an electrolysis business in the Equitable Building in Des Moines. She continued to operate her business until age 85 and had the honor of being the longest standing tenant of the Equitable Building.  She was always dressed for the occasion and never was seen without being perfectly attired.

Mary was dedicated to her family, church and gardening.  For years, Mary hosted an elaborate Christmas party, where she prided herself on making her special holiday food and enjoyed displaying her large collection of Christmas decorations.  Her backyard was a showcase of flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables.  She was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Indianola and served for years on the Board of Trustees and endowment committee.

Mary is survived by her brother Larry (Mary) Hickman of Otley; nieces, Sharon (Larry) Devin, Linda (Larry) Miskel, Janet (Paul) Fredericksen, Kathy (Frank) Moceri, Vivian (Tim) Leonard, Deb (Jim) Knight, Tammy (Brian) Miller, Cindy (Jim) Kretzmeier, Diana Mock and Sharla Hickman; and nephew, Rod (Cindy) Hickman. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her siblings, Melvin (Beulah), Alice (Robert) Rodgers and Lila (Robert) Mock.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Westview Care Center, both the homecare division and the Care Center staff for the excellent job in caring for Mary over the past several years. Suncrest Hospice guided Mary through her final months and always made certain she was as comfortable as was possible.

Services will be held at The First United Methodist Church in Indianola on Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. with burial following in the Indianola IOOF Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service.Memorial contributions may be made to the Indianola First United Methodist Church.