Mary Francis Duke

Mary Francis Duke

Our beloved mother, Mary Francis Duke, was born on March 29, 1951, to retired Major Francis Strasser and Virginia Strasser. She was one of eight children raised in a devout Catholic family. She was a woman of unwavering and outspoken faith, sharing the glorious gospel message wherever she went.

Her early years were spent traveling with her military family. During her later formative years and through high school, she grew up in Turlock, California. As a young mother raising three children—Christie, Sherry, and Steven—she pursued a career in nursing, beginning with her LVN. Compassionate by nature, she cared for the elderly while steadily advancing in her profession.

In 1977, she married James (Jim) Duke and soon earned her RN license along with an associate degree. They purchased their first home in Denair, California, and later moved to Fremont while the children were in high school so she could further her nursing career. She went on to become the Director of Nursing at Eden Hospital. Her final residence was in Oroville, California, where she lived with Jim, overlooking the beautiful and majestic Lake Oroville.

During her retirement, she followed her passion for writing and studying history. Highly creative, she devoted herself to researching and documenting her family’s genealogy, producing an extensive family tree. She spent over 20 years studying biblical theology, with a particular focus on biblical history. She was known for her strong convictions about the truth, especially regarding the travels of Paul the Apostle, and authored a book titled Apostle Paul’s Incredible Five Eastern and Fifteen Western Missionary Journeys: Isles of the Sea under the alias Evan Spencer.

Other creative interests she enjoyed included sewing, gardening, and thrifting. One of her greatest joys was making challah bread for Jim and her cat, Kiki.

In her final moments, she was comforted by her husband Jim, her children, and many of her grandchildren who were at her side.

Her legacy will live on through 21 descendants: her three children, two stepchildren, ten grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Francis Duke, please visit our floral store.