Mary Margaret Thomsen Stutzman was born Nov. 27, 1927, at Friend, to Clarence and Ellen (Schmidt) Rule, and passed away Monday, May 29, 2023, at Tabitha, in Crete, at the age of 95 years.
As a young girl, she was raised on the farm where she spent time helping her mom and dad raise work horses. After a long day of work, her father would put her up on one of the horses when he was done in the field. Mary attended country school for eight years and finished her high school education and graduated from Friend High School in 1945. Mary was united in marriage to Lyle Thomsen on Oct. 1, 1949, at the Friend Methodist Church and Rev. Robert Emery officiated the service. To this union, two children were born, Sara and Gary Thomsen.
Mary was blessed with a second marriage with Richard L. Stutzman on Jan. 22, 2016. Mary and Lyle made their home on a farm north of Friend where they raised milk cows, sheep, pigs, collies and a wide variety of other farm animals for 34 years. After living on the farm, Mary moved into Friend and worked part time at the Friend Flower Shop. She worked full time at the bank for 50 years before retiring in 1997 (she started out of high school). She helped clerk auctions with Paul Rogers. Mary always kept busy. She was an active member of the Friend United Methodist Church and had been an active member for the church for 80 years. She was involved in the United Methodist Women, where she kept busy working in the kitchen for weddings and funerals making coffee and punch. She and several ladies made quilts for “AIDS babies.” She rarely missed a Sunday going to church.
Other hobbies and activities included quilting, crocheting, knitting and embroidery. Mary loved music, with her favorites included polka, waltzes and country. She loved to garden and grow flowers. She had a big strawberry bed for years. She also canned vegetables and made all kinds of jelly and jam. As a renowned baker, she always provided cookies, rolls and cinnamon rolls. Mary loved her family and shared her hobbies with them. Mary’s joys of life were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She enjoyed visiting with the staff at Tabitha, Mary would often be found sitting on the patio enjoying the fresh air.
Mary is survived by her daughter, Sara Thomsen and close friend Roger Bardell, of Friend; two grandchildren, Bonnie, and husband Jeremy Nerud, of Dorchester, and Brian, and wife Kelli Kohout, of Crete; five great-grandchildren, Thor and Sawyer Nerud, Lennon and Hollis Kohout, and Brandon Thomsen; and daughter-in-law, Sarah Thomsen of Hickman. She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister; son, Gary Thomsen; and husbands, Lyle Thomsen and Richard Stutzman.
The funeral service was June 2 at the Friend United Methodist Church, with interment at the Andrew Cemetery, rural Friend. Memorial contributions are suggested to the church. Arrangements by Lauber Funeral and Cremation services.
