Mary Carpenter Obituary

Mary Carpenter

Born: March 25, 1904

Died: September 19, 2010

Services: The service for Mary will be 2:00 p.m. Sunday, September 26, 2010, at Rockford United Methodist Church, 159 Maple St., Rockford with the Rev. Richard Riley officiating. Interment in Rockford Cemetery.

Visitation: Relatives and friends may meet with the family at the Pederson Funeral Home on Saturday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.

Mrs. Mary Ann Carpenter, age 106, the senior member of the Rockford Community, passed away late Sunday evening, September 19, 2010, at her home. She lived all her life within five miles of Rockford, MI. Mary was born to Jennie and George Dunn on a farm on Courtland Drive where she grew up. She attended Shank Elementary School on 12 Mile Road and graduated from Rockford High School in 1922. Mary worked for Citizen Telephone Company, Michigan Bell from 1922 to 1927 and Wolverine World Wide for five years. She married Walter L. Carpenter on July 24, 1926. They lived on Lewis Street and then moved to a farm on Shaner Avenue. The next house was in Rockford on Summit Street for a short time until purchasing the farm on Tefft Avenue where they lived in for 20 years. After retirement they purchased a home on South Main Street in Rockford. Mary enjoyed gardening, crocheting, playing cards with friends, crossword puzzles, the Golden R, and keeping track of her grandchildren. She was an avid fan of the Detroit Tigers Baseball Team. For many years Mary was an active worker at each Rockford United Methodist Church Pastie Bake. She drove until the age of 99 and was able to live in her home until the age of 101 when she moved to Bishop Hills Retirement Home. Her family thanks the great care given to Mary at Bishop Hills and most recently Spectrum Hospice and Dr Longley. A special thanks is given to the Rockford United Methodist Church, Pastor Riley, the staff and entire congregation for the continuous love given to Mary. They also would like to thank her sons, Gerald, his wife Jeri, and Jim, his wife Cathie, and granddaughter, Deena, her husband Art who took the emergency calls and opened their homes to special events for Mary. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter (1982), two brothers (Chester Dunn 1952 and Earl Dunn 1963), as well as two sisters (Elva 1959 and Orpha 1936). Mary is survived by her son, Gerald (Jeri) of Livonia, MI, son, Jack (Darlene) of Evergreen, CO; daughter, Joan (Carl) Doyle of Modesto, CA and son, Jim (Cathie) of Grand Rapids, MI. She leaves 12 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews and their children who were also very dear to her throughout her life.