Mrs. Mary Jane Bartels' Obituary
Mrs. Mary J. Bartels, age 87, went to be with her Lord on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at Sanctuary at the Oakes Memory Garden in Muskegon. She was born in Muskegon on August 27, 1927 to Russell and Everdena (Borgerding) Peterson and had been a life resident of the area. Mary, whose father died when she was 10 years old, began working at age 14. She was employed by Continental Motors during WWII, and soon after the end of the war, met her future husband, Lester Bartels. They were married on October 15, 1949 and were married for over 54 years. Lester preceded her in death on March 6, 2004. Mary was a member of the former Westwood Reformed Church where she was active with the women’s guild, sang in the choir, and served meals for Wednesday evening activities. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends over a cup of coffee or going to Russ’ for pie and ice cream. Mary was an excellent seamstress and in less than one year, she made all three of her daughters’ wedding dresses. She enjoyed traveling to Florida with her husband, Lester, and playing golf. Most importantly, she took great pride in taking care of her family, especially her grandchildren. She is survived by her three daughters: Marilee (Wayne) Dolislager of Muskegon, Jennifer (Rev. Edward) Schmidt of Portage and Priscilla (Dr. Gary) Oster of Chesapeake, VA; seven grandchildren: Megan Dolislager, Joshua (Claire) Dolislager, Melissa Dolislager, Jessica Schmidt, Rev. Matthew (Hillary) Schmidt, George Oster and Geneva Oster; one nephew, John Manthey and one niece, Denise Johnson. In addition to her husband, Lester, Mary was preceded in death by her parents, one granddaughter, Lisa Dolislager, and two sisters, Loretta Epplett and Donna Manthey. A MEMORIAL SERVICE will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, March 9, 2015 at Westwood Reformed Church (3025 Glenside Blvd., Muskegon 49441) with Rev. Scott VanArendonk officiating. VISITATION will be one hour prior to the service. For a more lasting MEMORIAL, please consider Mercy VNS Hospice.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
What’s a lesson you learned from Mary?
Share a story where Mary's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Mary you’ll never forget.
How did Mary make you smile?
