Mary E. Nolting, age 82, of Alexandria, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Monday, June 22, 2026, at her apartment in Grand Arbor under the care of Moments Hospice.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria with Fr. Daniel Ruprecht officiating. A private family interment will be held at a later date.

A visitation will be held one hour prior to the church service.

Mary Ellen was born on March 20, 1944, to Louis and Blanche (Scully) Normandin in Crookston. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Anne’s Catholic Church and grew up in Crookston, where she attended St. Joseph Academy from kindergarten through twelfth grade, graduating in 1962. Mary Ellen developed a love of reading at an early age, and while still a student, she worked in the school library. Following her graduation from high school, Mary Ellen continued her education at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. During the summer of 1963, she served as a civil rights worker in Mississippi, an experience that reflected her compassion and commitment to helping others. She later graduated with a degree in social work and worked in the field for a short time. While recovering from a skiing accident at Lutsen, Mary Ellen worked in the office of her future husband Don. She married Donald Nolting on September 2, 1967, at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Crookston. The couple began their married life moving to several communities for Don’s work before eventually settling in Alexandria.

While raising their children, she continued her own studies, earning a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota Morris and taught in the Evansville School District for 14 years. Mary was very committed to lifelong learning, and she later earned her Master's Degree in Library Sciences from St. Cloud State University. She then went on to work for the Anoka-Hennepin School District for the next five years before retiring. She enjoyed traveling with her husband and spending time on the lake. Above all, she cherished her family and enjoyed precious time spent with her 2 granddaughters.

She is preceded in death by her parents; infant brother, Kevin; brother, John; and infant son, Christopher.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Don Nolting; daughter, Angele Anderson; son, Joe Nolting; granddaughters, Nicole and Stephanie Anderson; brother, Michael Normandin; sister-in law, Dolores Normandin as well as several nieces, nephews, and friends.