Mary Schlarf

Mary L. Schlarf, 99, passed away on Monday, December 21, 2009 in St. Johns, Michigan. Born in Gratiot County on August 31, 1910 the daughter of Florian and Bina (Haas) Matthews. She graduated from St. Johns High School in 1928 and from the Acme Business College in Lansing. At one time, she was the secretary to the Mayor of Lansing. She rode the inter-urban back to St. Johns on weekends. Mary enjoyed playing the organ and was the organist at the Salem United Methodist Church and the Maple Rapids Congregational Christian Church. She also loved cooking, baking gardening and bird watching. Mary married Glenn Schlarf on January 1, 1933 and he passed away in 1984. She then married Clayton Wright in 1986 and he passed away in 1988.

Mary is survived by her two daughters, Margaret Bontrager of Ashley and Janet (Bill) Haupert of Ovid; one son, John (MaryAnn) of St. Johns, 8 grandchildren, Brian, Duane (Marti) and Annette Bontrager, Cathy (Jerry) Weber, Russell (Wendee) Schlarf, Sandy (Jeff) Aprill, Scott (Katie) Rockafellow, Shelly (Rodney Kaiser) Rockafellow, 3 step grandchildren, Cindy (Brian) Hilton, Candy (Bill) Griffiths and Mark (Marian) Haupert, 22 great grandchildren and 12 great great grandchildren. Along with her parents and husbands, Mary was preceded in death by her infant son, Jimmie, granddaughter, Mary (Bontrager) Howd, two sons-in-law, Farol Bontrager and Gene Rensberry, and her three sisters, Eva Shinaberry, Cressie Wakefield and Helen Peck.

Funeral Services will be at 11:00 AM Thursday, December 24, 2009 at the Osgood Funeral Home in St. Johns with burial at the Eureka Cemetery with Pastor Kathy Leydorf officiating. The family will receive friends 2-4 and 6-8 PM, Wednesday at the funeral home. Sympathies may be expressed in the form of memorial contributions to a charity of the donor's choice. To learn more about Mary and view her Life Story film, visit her personal webpage at www.lifestorynet.com/memories/54537 .