Obituary for Mary Jean Smith (Ohlhausen)
Mary Jean Ohlhausen Smith, 91, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at her home in Weston, MO, on September 17, 2022.
Born on May 30, 1931, to Martin Monroe Ohlhausen and Ruth Marie Schaback Ohlhausen, Mary grew up in Weston, MO. She graduated from West Platte High School in 1949, and from Christian College (now Columbia College) in Columbia, MO in 1951. She subsequently earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Zoology, from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. She received a Medical Technologist certificate from Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO, and worked there for several years.
Mary met her future husband, Robert Wyckoff Smith, at the Wesley Foundation fellowship at the Missouri Methodist Church in Columbia, MO. Bob was the President of that organization, which served students at the University of Missouri, Christian College, and Stephens College. Mary and Bob were married on March 17, 1956, at the United Methodist Church in Weston, and they enjoyed 66 years of marriage.
Mary and Bob lived in many places around the world as he pursued his naval and foreign service careers. Their older daughter, Lisa Marie, was born in Washington, D.C., where Mary worked at George Washington Hospital. Their younger daughter, Stephanie Jean, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. They were assigned to the U.S. Legation in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1964, and to the U.S. Mission in West Berlin in 1966. During these assignments, Mary took loving care of their little girls and performed representational functions with Bob, entertaining foreign dignitaries.
In 1969 Mary and Bob settled in Phoenix, AZ with their daughters. Mary was a devoted mother, and also worked as a court stenographer and later as a histologist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Bob worked as a stockbroker for Dean Witter (later Morgan Stanley). They both retired in 1996 and moved to Weston for their retirement years.
Weston United Methodist Church was Mary’s home church, where she was baptized. Mary assisted with Vacation Bible School, and she and Bob served on several church committees. They reorganized, supported, and expanded the church library, which was dedicated to Mary’s mother as the Ruth Ohlhausen Memorial Library. Another project they promoted was the new church parsonage.
Sewing and cooking were pastimes that Mary loved to share with her family. She sewed beautiful clothes for her daughters and their dolls, and later for her granddaughters’ dolls. She was a member of the Weston Stitchery Club, and produced many intricate wall hangings and ornaments. Mary had an extensive collection of typed recipe cards and cookbooks, accumulated in her search for new recipes to make for her family. Mary and Bob were members of the Weston Book Study Club, and she was disciplined about reading the Bible from cover to cover. Mary was also a good bridge player, when she and Bob were in a bridge club during his time in the Navy. More recently, Mary loved to watch the birds and other wildlife and view the flowers in the yard of their Weston home, on the east bluff of the Missouri River bottom.
Mary loved her family dearly and enjoyed making annual trips to see them, from wherever she and Bob were living, back to Weston. After retirement, the trips were from Weston to Arizona, Texas, Nevada, California, or Washington – wherever their children and grandchildren were living. Mary greatly missed these trips after her fall and head injury in 2013. Her family made sure to come see her regularly, though, and she always delighted in their visits.
Mary was a beautiful person, loved by all who knew her. She was a beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Mary also became an example to all for the uncomplaining way she lived with disability, loss, and new challenges – focusing on the joys in her life rather than the sorrows. She appreciated her dedicated caregivers, some of whom grew to be like family members. Mary will be dearly missed and always remembered.
Mary is survived by her husband Bob, their two daughters and their families: Lisa Marie Eilers (Hergen) and their daughter; and Stephanie Jean Krizek (David) and their five children. She is also survived by her brother, William Rinehart Ohlhausen, his four children and their families; and by her sister, Sara Ruth Slaughter, her four children and their families. Mary is preceded in death by her beloved parents, aunts and uncles.
The visitation and funeral service for Mary will be on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. respectively, both at Vaughn Funeral Home in Weston, followed by interment in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Weston.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Weston Historical Museum at www.westonhistoricalmuseum.org. Online condolences may be expressed at www.vaughnfuneralhomes.com.
Born on May 30, 1931, to Martin Monroe Ohlhausen and Ruth Marie Schaback Ohlhausen, Mary grew up in Weston, MO. She graduated from West Platte High School in 1949, and from Christian College (now Columbia College) in Columbia, MO in 1951. She subsequently earned a Bachelor’s degree with a major in Zoology, from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. She received a Medical Technologist certificate from Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Kansas City, MO, and worked there for several years.
Mary met her future husband, Robert Wyckoff Smith, at the Wesley Foundation fellowship at the Missouri Methodist Church in Columbia, MO. Bob was the President of that organization, which served students at the University of Missouri, Christian College, and Stephens College. Mary and Bob were married on March 17, 1956, at the United Methodist Church in Weston, and they enjoyed 66 years of marriage.
Mary and Bob lived in many places around the world as he pursued his naval and foreign service careers. Their older daughter, Lisa Marie, was born in Washington, D.C., where Mary worked at George Washington Hospital. Their younger daughter, Stephanie Jean, was born in Adelaide, South Australia. They were assigned to the U.S. Legation in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1964, and to the U.S. Mission in West Berlin in 1966. During these assignments, Mary took loving care of their little girls and performed representational functions with Bob, entertaining foreign dignitaries.
In 1969 Mary and Bob settled in Phoenix, AZ with their daughters. Mary was a devoted mother, and also worked as a court stenographer and later as a histologist at the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Bob worked as a stockbroker for Dean Witter (later Morgan Stanley). They both retired in 1996 and moved to Weston for their retirement years.
Weston United Methodist Church was Mary’s home church, where she was baptized. Mary assisted with Vacation Bible School, and she and Bob served on several church committees. They reorganized, supported, and expanded the church library, which was dedicated to Mary’s mother as the Ruth Ohlhausen Memorial Library. Another project they promoted was the new church parsonage.
Sewing and cooking were pastimes that Mary loved to share with her family. She sewed beautiful clothes for her daughters and their dolls, and later for her granddaughters’ dolls. She was a member of the Weston Stitchery Club, and produced many intricate wall hangings and ornaments. Mary had an extensive collection of typed recipe cards and cookbooks, accumulated in her search for new recipes to make for her family. Mary and Bob were members of the Weston Book Study Club, and she was disciplined about reading the Bible from cover to cover. Mary was also a good bridge player, when she and Bob were in a bridge club during his time in the Navy. More recently, Mary loved to watch the birds and other wildlife and view the flowers in the yard of their Weston home, on the east bluff of the Missouri River bottom.
Mary loved her family dearly and enjoyed making annual trips to see them, from wherever she and Bob were living, back to Weston. After retirement, the trips were from Weston to Arizona, Texas, Nevada, California, or Washington – wherever their children and grandchildren were living. Mary greatly missed these trips after her fall and head injury in 2013. Her family made sure to come see her regularly, though, and she always delighted in their visits.
Mary was a beautiful person, loved by all who knew her. She was a beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Mary also became an example to all for the uncomplaining way she lived with disability, loss, and new challenges – focusing on the joys in her life rather than the sorrows. She appreciated her dedicated caregivers, some of whom grew to be like family members. Mary will be dearly missed and always remembered.
Mary is survived by her husband Bob, their two daughters and their families: Lisa Marie Eilers (Hergen) and their daughter; and Stephanie Jean Krizek (David) and their five children. She is also survived by her brother, William Rinehart Ohlhausen, his four children and their families; and by her sister, Sara Ruth Slaughter, her four children and their families. Mary is preceded in death by her beloved parents, aunts and uncles.
The visitation and funeral service for Mary will be on Wednesday, September 21, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. respectively, both at Vaughn Funeral Home in Weston, followed by interment in Laurel Hill Cemetery in Weston.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Weston Historical Museum at www.westonhistoricalmuseum.org. Online condolences may be expressed at www.vaughnfuneralhomes.com.