Born Marie Celestine Foisy to Medard Godard Foisy and Marie Anne "Marian" (Delore) Foisy in St Louis, Marion County, Oregon in what they called French Prairie on January 31, 1862. Her mother was one of the first settlers in the Oregon Territory and her father one of the first publishers to come to Oregon, both families well known in the Oregon History. She was raised in Marion County and married Alexander Turcotte in about 1887. They had two children according to 1900 Census and one has passed on already along with her husband Alexander. He died at the age of 30 and is buried in Gervais, Oregon in the Sacred heart Cemetery. Mary as she was called, was living in Catlin, Washington, now called Kelso, when her mother passed away in 1908. She and daughter Alice Marion Turcotte have moved to Gervais, Oregon in 1900 census and back to Kelso in 1910 where Mary is working as a dressmaker to make a living. She met William Brezee there and the two were married. 1920 we find them living in Portland, Oregon where Mary is working as a chamber maid in a Motel there. William passed away that same year. Mary moves in with daughter at Centralia, Washington where she is working as a nurse for a private family when she passes away on August 17, 1931 at the age of 69. Mary is buried in Centralia at the Greenwood Memorial Park. Her daughter Alice Vermeer, son-in-law Herman Vermeer and grandson Marion would all be laid to rest at the same cemetery.

She left behind are her daughter, Alice Vermeer and her husband Herman, also four grandsons; Alexander, Herman Jr, Marion, and Leo all of Centralia. Sister Eulalie Malo, Gervais, Oregon, half-sisters; Clair Sullens of Alameda County, California and Eleanor Girard of Gervais, Oregon