OCTOBER 27, 1920 - AUGUST 20, 2015

Mary Christine VanHorn age 94, of Osawatomie, Kansas died peacefully Thursday, August 20, 2015 surrounded by her family.

Mary was born October 27, 1920 in Osawatomie, Kansas the eldest of three children born to Marvin Palmer and Edith Estell (Hubbard) Matherly. She grew up in Osawatomie with her two sisters Betty and Geraldine and attended school in the Osawatomie school system.

Mary fell in love at a young age with Vernon Dale VanHorn, a descendant of John VanHorn one of the first families to settle in Osawatomie in 1855. On January 4, 1937 Mary and Vernon were married at the courthouse in Paola, Kansas. Mary continued with her education and graduated from Osawatomie High School with the class of 1939.

Vernon took a job with the Boeing Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas and the couple moved to Wichita where they lived for about eighteen months. During this time their family grew and they became a family of three when daughter Judith Kay was born. While in Wichita Vernon enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp during WWII and Mary and baby Judith returned home to Osawatomie to be with family while Vernon was gone. Vernon was discharged in November of 1945 and they remained in Osawatomie and welcomed another addition to the family when Linda Lee was born. A few years later the family moved to Lane, Kansas where the family once again grew with the addition of their third daughter Rebecca Lynn.

Mary and Vernon remained in Lane for many years. Vernon died on March 24, 1996, he and Mary had been married for fifty-nine years. Mary moved from Lane back to Osawatomie in 2001. Then in 2010 she moved to her granddaughter’s home where granddaughter Jacque and husband Larry Isenhower cared for her for over four years until her failing health forced her to be moved to Golden Living Center in Spring Hill, Kansas in September of 2014.

Mary was a loving and dedicated wife, mother and grandmother that still found the time to work outside the home. She worked for a local dentist in Osawatomie for several years and later she was employed at the Holiday Manor Nursing Home (now Life Care Center of Osawatomie) as a CNA, CMA and a CTA from the mid 1960’s to the late 1970’s. Mary also attended nursing school for a while but had to leave to take care of her husband Vernon after he was injured working for the railroad.

Mary was a member of the First Baptist Church of Osawatomie for most of her life and a strong believer in the power of prayer.

She was an avid reader and would read anything from romance novels to suspenseful thrillers, but truly enjoyed reading any type of religious readings. Mary liked to work crossword and word search puzzles and spent many hours just relaxing with her puzzle book. She enjoyed sitting outside on the patio and working in the garden alongside Vernon something she and Vernon used to do and she continued to do for years after

.Mary was a quiet lady that loved to organize large family gatherings and then just sit back and enjoy watching all of the family have a good time, to her the joy in the event was in watching them. Mary was a fabulous cook and her homemade noodles were a family favorite. She was a wonderful seamstress and even make all three of her daughter’s wedding dresses and her eldest grand-daughters also. She was an accomplished pianist and everyone not only loved to hear her music but to watch her was most amazing, she had such grace when she played , it was like her hands floated across the keys. She was a women of dignity and grace but don’t be fooled she was also a woman who knew how to handle any situation, she would take care it and get it done right away, not one to waste time. One of her most common things to say was “Well for Pete sakes” and “well I’ll be.” Mary will be truly missed by many.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Vernon, her daughters: Judith Kay Scheinert, Linda Lee Pennock and Rebecca Lynn Eilts.

She is survived by her two younger sisters: Betty Durland of Paola, KS and Geraldine Piggott of Osawatomie, KS. Eight grandchildren: Jacque Isenhower, JD Scheinert, Jeana Ronnebaum, Christy Godfrey, Amanda Graves, John Graves, BJ Eilts, Jenny Needham, sixteen great grandchildren and twelve great- great grandchildren along with numerous other family members.

VISITATION: 6-8 PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015

EDDY-BIRCHARD FUNERAL HOME

GRAVESIDE SERVICE: 10:00 AM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2015

OSAWATOMIE CEMETERY, OSAWATOMIE, KANSAS

MEMORIAL: ALZHEIMER ASSOCIATION

Memorials may be sent in care of:
Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064