Mary Patricia Tobkin Books , February 22, 1927 — December 27, 2018

Mary Books, 91, of Bemidji, MN died Thursday, December 27, 2018 at GoldPine Home, Bemidji. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 31, 2018 at St. Philips Catholic Church, Bemidji with Fr. Chuck Huck officiating.

Family will greet friends one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements were entrusted to the Olson-Schwartz Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bemidji. Mary Patricia Tobkin was born February 22, 1927 in Lindsay, NE to Dr. Joseph and Ella (Chase) Tobkin.

She grew up in Broken Bow, NE where she met Clyde Books. The Tobkin family moved to St. Paul, MN where Mary earned a 4 year scholarship to St. Catherine’s University. She married Clyde Books in 1947.

He attended veterinary school, where they made many dear lifelong friends and she became the secretary to the vice president of Northwest Airlines. Her daughter Terry was born in St. Paul, MN in 1958. One year later they moved to East Grand Forks, MN where Clyde worked as a veterinarian and she worked as a secretary at an attorney’s office in East Grand Forks, MN.

They moved to Bemidji and purchased the Bemidji Veterinary Hospital in 1960. She ran the office for many years until 1975 when they built a new building and she went to work for the DNR. Finally, she was secretary to the Dean at Bemidji State University until her retirement.

They made many, many friends in Bemidji and loved the town and its people. Mary was a hostess who made anyone who came to her home welcome. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, traveling, loved music, craft work, scrapbooking, puzzle books and wind-up toys.

She was a member of St. Philips Catholic Church for all of the years that she lived in Bemidji. She is survived by her daughter, Teresa “Terry” (Craig) Nichols of Andover; 2 grandchildren, John Thomas Nichols of Andover and Joshua William Nichols of Tucson, AZ; sisters-in-law, Vaughn (Ton) DeVos of Birmingham, AL and Jean Feild of Hampton, VA; brother-in-law, Bob (Pat) Books of Scotts Bluff, NE and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Joseph and Ella Tobkin; husband, Dr. Clyde Books; sister, Grace Tobkin and brothers, Ambrose, Quintin, Kenneth, Frederick, Leonard and Joseph Tobkin.

Online guestbook at www.

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