Mary Lou Bright entered the world in Beatrice, Nebraska on September 29, 1934. Before she graduated from high school, she had lost both her parents and her sister had guardianship. After graduation, she joined the United States Marine Corps during the Korea era. While in the Marines, she was stationed in California and she never left.

She went to work with Leo Fender and Harold Rhodes, Fender, Rodgers, Rhodes musical instruments in Fullerton, CA. When CBS purchased it, Mary Lou remained. Mary Lou would eventually leave CBS and worked from Knott’s Berry Farm Food Division, when it was still owned by the Knott family. The Knott family sold the foods division to Conagra and Mary Lou Remained. Near the end of the decade, century, and millennia, she decided to retire.

Through all of this, with the help of her friend, Shirlee, she chose to try parenting a child that was not hers. She was over 40 by the time she took on parenting, but she did it just the same.

Retirement was not as quiet as some might assume. By the time she retired, the child she helped raise already had a child so there was a little one running around. She also liked to stay active by working in the yard, spending time with friends, and generally enjoying life.

And enjoying life is all we can ask for. After some health challenges, she began slowing down. At the age of 90, I guess that is expected. She was told to slow down, but that was not her way. In true Mary Lou fashion, if she could not do what she wanted, she wasn’t going to do it at all. And on January 26, 2025, she exited this world.

She is survived by the child she raised (great niece), That child’s child and her fiancé, another spare child and his fiancé, and 4 great, great, great nephews and 1 great, great, great niece. She was affectionately called granny, though several years ago, she became super granny.

She loved life, she LOVED Knott’s, she loved to be outside. All of the things she loved will live on. And the love of Knott’s has been instilled in each generation that she has touched.

At the moment, we are working on funding her cremation. If you are so inclined to help, it would be appreciated. We will be having a celebration of life, but it will be later in the year since she really hated being cold.

If you got a chance take it, Take it while you got a chance, If you got a dream chase it 'Cause a dream won't chase you back If you're gonna love somebody Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can 'Til you can't.