Mary A. Worthman, 97, of Bronson passed away Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at home in Bronson.
A funeral service will be held Monday, January 31, 2022 at 12 noon at Dutcher Funeral Home in Bronson. The family will receive guests for visitation Monday, January 31, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at the funeral home.
Interment will follow the service at Bronson Cemetery.
She was born October 31, 1924, the 8th and youngest child of Otto and Caroline (Kirchner) Bieberich who raised their family operating their orchard and fruit farm near Decatur, IN. Mary graduated from Kirkland High School in 1944. She worked at Fort Wayne Wire Die from 1944 to 1947 and on May 25, 1946 she married the love of her life, Irvin Worthman in a double wedding ceremony with her brother Carl and Irvin’s sister Florence. Mary and Irvin farmed the Worthman homestead in Indiana until 1964 when they moved to Michigan. They adopted their son Daniel Jay in 1955 and in 1959 their daughter Linda Sue was born.
In addition to helping with the family farm, Mary had been employed with K&W Manufacturing from 1969 to 1971 and at Bronson Community Schools as a cook for 16 years until her retirement in 1987. In 1985 they moved to Mary’s favorite place on Gilead Lake and enjoyed their retirement living the lake life.
After Irvin passed in 1995, Mary thoroughly enjoyed traveling, one trip after another to almost every state. She loved the scenery of her travels but most of all she enjoyed the wonderful memories made and countless travel buddies acquired. She had been a member of the Salem Magley Church in Indiana until moving to Michigan where she became a member at the First Congregational Church of Bronson.
During her time with the church in Bronson, Mary had served as a member of the council, choir, and had also served as the president of the Women’s Fellowship Club for many years. Mary was an extremely dedicated 4-H mother and grandmother and also in the Country Couples organization.
She shared a passion for crafts of all sorts from gardening to crocheting but Mary was particularly fond of bowling which she participated in for many years, always looking forward to the state and national tournaments. Mary was sure to never forget her roots, showing off her “farmer’s wife” skills from time to time in the local tractor pulls. She was very hardworking but Mary also knew to take the time to enjoy the life she had through her camping trips or just simply watching the birds and always surrounding herself with the people she loved.
Mary is last of this family’s generation and leaves behind her daughter Linda Strong and her favorite son-in-law Ron of Bronson; her much loved grandchildren Stacy (Christopher Haight) Grindle, Devin (Kristin) Grindle, Bryce Carpenter and family, Tasha Kelley and family; her great-granddaughter Matteson Grindle; her many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, and her special and spoiled kitty Peanut.
Waiting to greet her in heaven, are her parents, her husband Irvin, son Daniel Worthman, her sisters Kathryn Cauble, Metha Hilpert, Della Carpenter , Amanda Bieberich, and her brothers Oscar, Henry, and Carl Bieberich.
Memorial donations are suggested to the family. www.dutcherfh.com
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