13 things about Naples, Florida’s Mary Grace Westman

Mary Grace Heleringer Westman is a resident of Naples, Florida, United States. The city is around 1,745 miles away from Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Westman is a former resident of Minneapolis and Crested Butte, Colorado, USA. Aside from Minneapolis, she has lived in other parts of Minnesota including Duluth, Eagan and Hastings.

Mother of MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTER has been identified as Mary Grace Westman—who RETIRED from the Church of Annunciation

Mary also SIGNED OFF on her son's SEXUAL TRANSITION request https://t.co/JPAByXSJD6 pic.twitter.com/CwqAIgEtBz

— RT (@RT_com) August 27, 2025

BIOGRAPHY

Westman is an American retired parish secretary. She is Robert Carl Heleringer and Mary Lou O’Donnell Heleringer‘s daughter.

Robert is Amedee Mathias Heleringer and Margaret Cecilia Holtz Heleringer‘s son and Mary Lou is Leo George O’Donnell and Fidelis M. Fogarty O’Donnell‘s daughter. Mary Grace and James Allen Westman have five children together namely Jack Westman, Martha Westman, Theresa Westman, Joseph Westman and Robert Paul “Bobby” Westman.

Also known as Mary Grace Heleringer Wilson, Mary Grace is Catholic and a Republican. Here are 13 more things about her:

1. In 1988, she married James.
2. In 2002, her son Bobby was born.
3. In 2004, her mother died.
4. In 2005, her father died and she participated in an anti-abortion protest in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
5. In 2013, she and James divorced.
6. In 2015, she bought a house in St. Paul.
7. In 2016, her uncle John Joseph “Duke” Heleringer died.
8. From 2016 to 2021, she worked at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis as a parish secretary.
9. In 2019, she signed Robert’s petition to change his name to Robin M. Westman.
10. In 2021, she sold her St. Paul house.
11. In 2022, she bought a house in Naples.
12. In 2025, her son Robin died.
13. On July 8, 2025, she turned 67.

TIMELINE

Mary Grace has five siblings namely Joseph F. Heleringer, Robert L. “Bob” Heleringer, Margaret Heleringer Healy, Nancy Heleringer Wachs and Diane Heleringer Cashen. As a Republican lawmaker, Bob represented portions of Louisville, Kentucky, USA from 1980 to 2003.

2000s

• On June 17, 2002, she gave birth to Robin.
• Her mother turned 76 on October 9, 2003 and died on January 13, 2004.
• On March 25, 2005, she carried crucifixes during an anti-abortion protest outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul.
• Her father turned 79 on August 27, 2005 and died on August 30, 2005.

2010s

• On March 6, 2015, she bought a house in St. Paul from James Prante and Margaret Garven.
• Her uncle Duke turned 83 on September 3, 2015 and died on June 13, 2016.
• In September 2016, she visited Red Bank, New Jersey, USA.
• In July 2019, she visited Lake Orion, Michigan, USA.

2020s

• On January 15, 2020, her son Robert’s petition to change his name to Robin was legally granted.
• In November 2020, she visited Bloomington, Minnesota.
• In January 2021, she visited Portland, Oregon, USA.
• On June 8, 2021, she sold her house in St. Paul to David B. Buetzow and Debra A. Buetzow.
• On August 16, 2021, the Church of the Annunciation took to social media to pay tribute to her before her retirement.
• On May 12, 2022, she bought a house in Naples from Paula Robert and Pawlowski Robert Sr. for $340,000.
• On June 13, 2022, she registered to vote in Florida as a Republican.
• Just before 8:30 a.m. on August 27, 2025, her son Robin opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, killing two students and wounding more than 17 other people, then fatally shot himself.