Audrey Cleary

Audrey Marie Cleary (née Boucher; June 1, 1930 – February 5, 2019) was a Democratic-NPL politician who represented District 49 in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 1991 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2003.

Biography Audrey Marie Boucher was born in Menominee, Michigan in 1930. She graduated from the Marquette University College of Nursing in 1952 and worked as a labor and delivery nurse for several years. In 1954, she married Joseph Cleary with whom she moved to Bismarck, North Dakota the next year. The Clearys raised eleven children in Bismarck. Some commentators in the local media argued that Cleary was being gerrymandered out due to the new district having strong Republican-leaning areas introduced. However, Cleary insisted that it had not been done to specifically target her as the lone Democrat representing Bismarck due to her district already having Republican-leaning areas.

Audrey Boucher died in Bismarck on February 7, 2019, aged 88.