Mary Evelyn Herder was born August 31,1928 to the late Charles Henry and Clara Thomas. She was educated in the DC Public School system. “Evelyn” as she was called, fell in love and married her husband Anthony Bruce Herder and had three children Anthony Bruce, Jr., Clara Mary, and Cynthia Herder. She worked as a DC school crossing guard until she accepted a job working for the Washington federal government in the Department of Justice Federal Prison system as an Administrative Clerk until she retired. She loved living with her husband who was in the US Army’s military division in different parts of the country, such as Fort Hood, TX, Colorado Springs, and Stuttgart, Germany where she delivered her second child Clara Mary. She became a girl scout leader when her daughters were in elementary school where they enjoyed several activities as girl scouts like camping overnight at Watkins Regional Park, they all sat around the campfires, singing girl scout songs, storytelling, roasting hotdogs, and marshmallows. Her real joy was selling Girl Scout cookies and eating them. She loved life and loved visiting her brothers & sisters, and friends. She use to love baking hot buttered rolls, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter cookies, all kinds of cakes and pies; she loved to go play bingo any and everywhere, her nickname was “Miss Bingo”, her hobbies also included piecing together her jigsaw puzzles (she had far too many puzzles), reading books, and her search-a-word books, using coloring pens, pencils, and crayons. Last but not least her favorite TV shows to watch day and night was Steve Harvey’s “Family Feud” and “In The Heat of the Night” along with eating all her unhealthy and sugary snacks and chips, her favorite was tootsie rolls.

Suddenly, On May 14, 2022, Mary Evelyn Herder departed this life peacefully from this Earth unto the spirit of our God the Almighty Holy Spirit.

She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter: Cythnia Herder; three grandchildren: Antoinie McCarthy (Michael Magby), Bernard V. Holden, and Andre O. Floyd; great grandson: Aaren Thompson; sister: Dorothy Hollmon and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her late husband Anthony Bruce Herder, Anthony Bruce, Jr. (son), Clara Mary Shelton (daughter), she also preceded in death her siblings: Joseph Thomas, James Albert Thomas, Edna McGregor, Bernard Wilson Thomas, Madeline Henson, Charlie Thomas, Frank Thomas, Florence Oliver, William Thomas and Mildred Theresa Brown. I love you so much mother and we all will miss you dearly. I’ll see you again in Heaven with our relatives who pass before us.
“Rest in Perfect Peace Mom”