Mary Lou Goertzen (1929–2020) was an American artist, peace activist and Mennonite.
Mary Lou and her late husband Ernie (1926–2004) are the subjects of the documentary Kind, True and Necessary (2006) by James Knight.
Initially, the school board canvassed the students, and determined that the midcentury modern work was "outdated."
[2] After an outpouring of support from the community, the board took some time before determining the Goertzen mural's fate.
[4] Mary Lou became well known for her pen-and-ink drawings highlighted with splashes of watercolor, most often of flowers and plants.