Mary Sims

Mary Alice Bohlke Sims of North Little Rock passed away on June 6, 2015. She was born on January 22, 1931 in Adrian, Michigan to John William and Minnie Owen Bohlke, who preceded her in death.
Mary graduated from Adrian High School and then attended and graduated from the Henry Ford Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit, and became a Registered Nurse in 1952. After working in Denver for 2 years, she joined the USAF Nurse Corps as a 2nd lieutenant at Travis Air Force Base in California. She was still assigned at Travis as a flight nurse, when she met, fell in love with and married 1st Lieutenant John Delbert Sims, the love of her life, in October 1959. She resigned her commission in December 1959. She accompanied her husband on all of his stateside assignments plus overseas assignments to Evreux, France; Naha, Okinawa; and Rhein Main Air Base, Germany. Mary arrived in North Little Rock on January 1, 1989. She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
Mary always enjoyed reading, cooking, sewing, and smocking, which she learned to do at Scott AFB, IL in 1983. She especially enjoyed smocking and joined Smocking Arts Guild of America (SAGA) at Scott. After they left the Air Force, she joined the SAGA chapter in Albuquerque, NM and was a charter member of La Petite Roche, the SAGA chapter in Little Rock. She started the La Petite Roche Wee Care Gown program for Arkansas Children's Hospital. The program provides special smocked gowns for all little babies who do not survive. The program still grows, providing gowns for the four largest hospitals in the area. Due to developing eye problems, Mary was not able to help in recent years.
Mary's family would like to thank Robinson Nursing and Rehab for all the special love and care the staff and workers gave her.
Mary is survived by her husband of 55 years, John; her daughter Mary Beth Farnum and husband John of Troy, Michigan; her son John DeMet and wife Kelley of Little Rock; grandchildren Kimberly and David Farnum; sister Hazel Chesher and husband Robert of Tecumseh, Michigan; and brother Owen Bohlke and wife Shirley of Tecumseh, Michigan.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association, 135 Parkinson Ave., Staten Island, NY 10305.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Burial with military honors will follow at the AR State Veterans Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 10, 2015 at Smith - North Little Rock Funeral Home followed by a rosary recited at 7:00 p.m. Online guest registry at www.SmithFamilyCares.com .