Born in Omaha, Nebraska to Donald and Ida Anderson, Mary Lu lived most of her life in and around Portland, Oregon. Mary Lu passed away peacefully at her daughter's home in Spring City, Tennessee.

As a youngster, she loved spending summers swimming at the local community pool, and water skiing on the Willamette River. She gratuated from Roosevelt High School in 1961. She married Bill Knapp in 1963 and managed the bookkeeping for their HVAC business while raising two children. In 1979 the family moved to a farm on 60 acres in Canby, Oregon where they raised Limousin beef cattle and Arabian show horses. Mary Lu was responsible for raising dozens of calves every year, as well as day-to-day responsibilities associated with managing the horses, hay production, and busy teenagers.

After Bill passed in 1996, Mary Lu marries Sam Phipps and began enjoying her retirement years learning to golf in Woodburn, Oregon. Her homemade Christmas candy was legendary, and was a gift she lovingly shared with many.

Mary Lu's greatest joy were her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her son, Jeff (Anne-Marie) Knapp, her two grandsons Nick and Jack, her daughter Daniele (Nick) Nepper, and her sisters-in-law Linda Anderson and Roz Anderson. She is predeceased by her father Don, her mother Ida, and her brothers Jerry and John Anderson.

A small private memorial will be held at a later date.