Mary Lou Saso
Mary Louise "Mary Lou" Saso of San Andreas, a gardener and gifted artist, died in Felton, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024, after struggling with cancer for several years.
She was surrounded by loving family members.
Mary Lou was born April 10, 1954, in Castro Valley, Calif., to Louis (Papa Louie) and Virginia Saso. She was one of eight children, having six brothers and one sister.
In 1962, the Saso family moved from Castro Valley to Saratoga. There she attended school through her graduation from Archbishop Mitty High School in neighboring San Jose.
She spent her summers in the 1960s at River Grove Park, a campground in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains owned by her parents and another family. She and many of her siblings found themselves drawn to this mountain area for much of their adult life after the park was sold.
In Saratoga the family had an herb nursery, Saso Herb Gardens, and all the children spent many long hours pulling weeds, watering and pruning. She also worked side by side in her mom's shop, where they made and sold dried flower wreaths and crafts at seasonal craft fairs. They continued that work later in Santa Cruz, where her parents moved for retirement in 2000. Mary Lou carried her mom's legacy forward for the rest of her life, endlessly creating wreaths, jewelry, prayer flags and other holy art. Her work can be seen on her website that has an archive of her creations, herbalwreathsbysaso.com.
Mary Lou was a caregiver to many throughout her life, including her mother, who had dementia for the last several years of her life.
In the late 1990s, Mary Lou met Glaine Harbecker, an equipment operator working for an asphalt paving company owned by one of her brothers. Glaine became the love of her life, and the feeling was mutual. They lived in the San Lorenzo Valley until they moved to San Andreas, in Calaveras County, in 2014 looking for a slower pace of life.
The move did not slow her down, however. Mary Lou joined the local garden club and continued to make and sell dried flower wreaths and crafts at seasonal craft fairs.
Mary Lou's zeal for gardening included aspirations of starting an herb garden similar to one her parents had for many years. She grew herbs, vegetables and decorative plants as well as taught workshops in San Andreas. Right to the end she was planning on starting an herb garden with her son, and every inch of the property at her home was planted or covered with potted plants.
Her friends in the Calaveras Garden Club remember Mary Lou with warmth and affection.
"She grew up a product of the '60s, a free spirit who was non-judgmental and accepting of people in the most innocent way," said Judy Weddle of San Andreas, who noted Mary Lou "was a collector who had a talent for repurposing things and making lovely wreaths that helped supplement her income. She was just a sweet lady, and I miss her."
Club member Catherine Brady of San Andreas said, "Mary Lou spent as much time volunteering as she did on her own personal business. She had many clients in the county and she designed and maintained their gardens including the Dove Ranch in Angels Camp.
She volunteered and maintained the gardens at San Andreas Elementary School. She was the Membership and Publicity Chair for the Calaveras County Garden Club. She donated her artwork and herbal wreaths to many nonprofit fundraisers, including the garden club, the Calaveras County Senior Center, and the San Andreas Friends of the Library. She ran a mail order business from her home and also shared a retail business with a friend in the historical Chichizola building on Jackson Gate in Jackson.
Mary Lou leaves behind her daughter, Sarah Chollar of Aptos, and Sarah's son, Rogers, and Mary Lou's son Clay Chollar of Santa Cruz. She also is survived by her brothers: Steve of Hawaii, Mike of Santa Cruz, Tom of Felton, and Chris of San Jose and her sister, Copperwoman of Sebastopol. She was preceded in death by her parents, by Glaine, who died in 2018, and by her oldest brothers, Bob and Jim.
A celebration of life is set for 1pm. on May 10, 2025 at the home of Tom Saso & Laurence Gathy in Felton CA.
