Mary Louise Nave, age 77, of Sikeston, died Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at Delta South Nursing Center in Sikeston.

Mary was born October 29, 1945, at Gibbon, NE, to the late Jose Louis Garcia and Lucy Redhawk Garcia.  Having lived in Sikeston since 1972, Mary graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau with a degree in Social Work. Mary was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church and its Legion of Mary and had been employed by the parish for a number of years as the Social Ministry Outreach director.

Mary was very proud of her Indian heritage and was as a member of the Ogala Souix Tribe. She especially enjoyed going to the Indian reservations.   Mary enjoyed life and loved her family, especially playing board games together.

Surviving is her companion of 29 years, Clayton Nichols; her son, Harley Franklin Nave; her grandchildren, Cody Lee Nave and Franklin Tyler Nave; her brothers and sister, Ben Garcia, Rose Schumacher and Francisco Garcia, as well as a number of nieces, nephews and cousins.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Jack Louis Garcia and her sister, Theresa Garcia.

Visitation will begin at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, November 2, 2023, at the McMikle Funeral Home in Sikeston where prayers will be recited at 6:30 p.m.

The funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 3, 2023, at the St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Sikeston, with the pastor, Father Colby Elbert, serving as celebrant.

Interment will follow at a later date in Nebraska.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, plants and gift items, the family kindly requests memorials be made to: St. Joseph's Indian School, P.O. Box 326, Chamberlain, SD 57326

or give at:  stjo.org/flowers