1914
Mary
2011
Mary Maier
November 27, 1914 — December 17, 2011
MARY BELLE [ARMSTRONG] MAIER, 97, of Merrill, died on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at Pine Crest Nursing Home, under the care of Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services. She was born on November 27, 1914, in Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of William and Ruth [Kavanaugh] Armstrong. Although she had lived in Evergreen Park, Illinois and in St. Petersburg, Florida, her heart had always been in Merrill, where she spent every summer at her family's cottage on Tug Lake. Following her graduation from Lake Erie College in 1936, at a time when most young women were encouraged not to pursue a college degree, she became employed in the Commercial Department at Ohio Bell Telephone.
When the US entered World War II, Mary Belle stepped forward, volunteered for service, and was one of the very first women to enlist. She was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS), and received her commission on August 29, 1942 with the first OCS class at the WAAC Training Center in Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. She was always proud of the fact that she was the first to receive her commission, and was leader of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (later shortened to be the WACs), at a time when this kind of army service had previously only been open to men. She, and other women like her, proved many senior military men wrong, who had felt that women would prove incapable of serving under military discipline.
She served her country during WWII, with the rank of Captain, as a Troop Movements, and Training, Officer, and received the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Service Medal and Ribbon. It was during her Army service that she met Dr. J. Leonard Maier, MD., her future husband, who was also serving his country as a Captain in the Army Medical Corps. She and "Lenny" were married on April 14, 1945, and were married for 60 years, until his death in 2006.
After the war, Mary Belle helped set up her husband's medical practice as a family practitioner at the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and served as his office assistant, bookkeeper and all around support staff. This lasted until she and Lenny started a family, and at that point, her role was expanded to include that of mother to their three children, John, Stephen and Mary. In addition to her roles as wife, medical support staff, and mother, she was very active in her local parish church and school activities, and had many varied interests.
There is a term applied to people who seemingly could do just about anything. It is "universal person", and this term certainly applies to Mary Belle. In addition to English, she spoke Spanish, and studied French and Greek. She loved to read everything from Roman history and classical Greek plays, to Agatha Christie murder mysteries, and Harlequin romance novels, and engrained her love of reading in her children.
She could make her own clothes with or without a pattern, and loved making Halloween Costumes for all sorts of people to use for the annual parties she and her husband held at their home. In addition to being a terrific seamstress, she loved to quilt, needlepoint, knit, and in general work with fabrics of all shapes and sizes.
She did not stop there, because she also liked to draw, use colored pencils, watercolors and oils, and studied art while in college. Her quilts were frequently donated to Church auctions, and she and her husband were always willing to help raise money for her home parish, or send money, clothing, and school supplies to the St. Josephs Indian School in South Dakota, as well as other charities. For example, before there were machines to print books for the blind, she handmade books using a Braille punch for each letter of every word. Mary Belle also had a "green thumb" and was particularly lucky growing roses of all kinds, colors and varieties. African violets were also a particular favorite of hers. Her interests did not stop there, during college (in the mid-1930's) she took flying lessons, and was only prevented from getting her pilot's license when her mother refused to allow her to "solo". Mary Belle was an accomplished horsewoman, an expert swimmer, and raced yachts on Lake Erie as a young woman.
Twenty-five years later, in 1960, she took lessons in SCUBA diving, and received her certification as an open water diver. From there, she did everything from diving in lakes surrounding Merrill during the summers, to diving through 3 feet of ice in the Racine Quarry during the winter, to diving on the salt water reefs in Florida. Mary Belle loved the outdoors, and frequently travelled on "road trips" with her husband and others, from coast to coast, exploring the National Parks, mountains and seashores, and everything in between. She had a great sense of humor, and was known for her "laughing fits" (often with her sister, "Viv") which could not easily be stopped. She also had a strong faith in God and the power of prayer. Her need to be of service to country never left her, and it is no surprise that she became very involved, in her later life, in the Daughters of the American Revolution and all of their projects. She became the elected Regent for her local branch in St. Petersburg area, a post she served proudly. Survivors, whom she loved very much, include her children: John (Terese) Maier of Roscoe, Illinois, Stephen (Catherine) Maier, of Palos Park, Illinois, and Mary (Heinz) Roth of Merrill, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Brian (Jennifer) Maier, Laura (Jason) Grootens, Michael (Liz) Maier, Jennifer (Rob) VanScoyoc, Kaitlin Maier, Ryan and Brad Hildebrand and Heidi and Alex Roth; great-grandchildren, Angelo, Grace, Vincent, Ella, Charles and Henry Maier; Jakob and Julia Grootens; Alexander and Rowan Maier; Lyla VanScoyoc, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, parents and sister, Grace Vivian Rose. Funeral mass at noon on Friday, January 6, 2011 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Merrill, with Father Mike McLain officiating. Burial will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday, January 6, from 9:30am-11:30 AM, preceding the Funeral Mass, at Waid Funeral Home Chapel, 301 South Eagle Drive, Merrill. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fisher House Foundation, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD. 20852. Fisher House provides a "home away from home" for families of patients in military and VA hospitals. Waid Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. On line condolences may be made at www.waidfuneral.com.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Visitation
Thursday, January 6, 2011
When the US entered World War II, Mary Belle stepped forward, volunteered for service, and was one of the very first women to enlist. She was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS), and received her commission on August 29, 1942 with the first OCS class at the WAAC Training Center in Ft. Des Moines, Iowa. She was always proud of the fact that she was the first to receive her commission, and was leader of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company in the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps (later shortened to be the WACs), at a time when this kind of army service had previously only been open to men. She, and other women like her, proved many senior military men wrong, who had felt that women would prove incapable of serving under military discipline.
She served her country during WWII, with the rank of Captain, as a Troop Movements, and Training, Officer, and received the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps Service Medal and Ribbon. It was during her Army service that she met Dr. J. Leonard Maier, MD., her future husband, who was also serving his country as a Captain in the Army Medical Corps. She and "Lenny" were married on April 14, 1945, and were married for 60 years, until his death in 2006.
After the war, Mary Belle helped set up her husband's medical practice as a family practitioner at the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Illinois, and served as his office assistant, bookkeeper and all around support staff. This lasted until she and Lenny started a family, and at that point, her role was expanded to include that of mother to their three children, John, Stephen and Mary. In addition to her roles as wife, medical support staff, and mother, she was very active in her local parish church and school activities, and had many varied interests.
There is a term applied to people who seemingly could do just about anything. It is "universal person", and this term certainly applies to Mary Belle. In addition to English, she spoke Spanish, and studied French and Greek. She loved to read everything from Roman history and classical Greek plays, to Agatha Christie murder mysteries, and Harlequin romance novels, and engrained her love of reading in her children.
She could make her own clothes with or without a pattern, and loved making Halloween Costumes for all sorts of people to use for the annual parties she and her husband held at their home. In addition to being a terrific seamstress, she loved to quilt, needlepoint, knit, and in general work with fabrics of all shapes and sizes.
She did not stop there, because she also liked to draw, use colored pencils, watercolors and oils, and studied art while in college. Her quilts were frequently donated to Church auctions, and she and her husband were always willing to help raise money for her home parish, or send money, clothing, and school supplies to the St. Josephs Indian School in South Dakota, as well as other charities. For example, before there were machines to print books for the blind, she handmade books using a Braille punch for each letter of every word. Mary Belle also had a "green thumb" and was particularly lucky growing roses of all kinds, colors and varieties. African violets were also a particular favorite of hers. Her interests did not stop there, during college (in the mid-1930's) she took flying lessons, and was only prevented from getting her pilot's license when her mother refused to allow her to "solo". Mary Belle was an accomplished horsewoman, an expert swimmer, and raced yachts on Lake Erie as a young woman.
Twenty-five years later, in 1960, she took lessons in SCUBA diving, and received her certification as an open water diver. From there, she did everything from diving in lakes surrounding Merrill during the summers, to diving through 3 feet of ice in the Racine Quarry during the winter, to diving on the salt water reefs in Florida. Mary Belle loved the outdoors, and frequently travelled on "road trips" with her husband and others, from coast to coast, exploring the National Parks, mountains and seashores, and everything in between. She had a great sense of humor, and was known for her "laughing fits" (often with her sister, "Viv") which could not easily be stopped. She also had a strong faith in God and the power of prayer. Her need to be of service to country never left her, and it is no surprise that she became very involved, in her later life, in the Daughters of the American Revolution and all of their projects. She became the elected Regent for her local branch in St. Petersburg area, a post she served proudly. Survivors, whom she loved very much, include her children: John (Terese) Maier of Roscoe, Illinois, Stephen (Catherine) Maier, of Palos Park, Illinois, and Mary (Heinz) Roth of Merrill, Wisconsin; grandchildren, Brian (Jennifer) Maier, Laura (Jason) Grootens, Michael (Liz) Maier, Jennifer (Rob) VanScoyoc, Kaitlin Maier, Ryan and Brad Hildebrand and Heidi and Alex Roth; great-grandchildren, Angelo, Grace, Vincent, Ella, Charles and Henry Maier; Jakob and Julia Grootens; Alexander and Rowan Maier; Lyla VanScoyoc, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, parents and sister, Grace Vivian Rose. Funeral mass at noon on Friday, January 6, 2011 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Merrill, with Father Mike McLain officiating. Burial will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Visitation will be on Friday, January 6, from 9:30am-11:30 AM, preceding the Funeral Mass, at Waid Funeral Home Chapel, 301 South Eagle Drive, Merrill. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Fisher House Foundation, 1401 Rockville Pike, Suite 600, Rockville, MD. 20852. Fisher House provides a "home away from home" for families of patients in military and VA hospitals. Waid Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements. On line condolences may be made at www.waidfuneral.com.
Previous Events
VisitationThursday, January 6, 2011
9:30 AM
- 11:30 AM
Waid Funeral Home
301 Eagle Drive
Merrill, WI 54452
Thursday, January 6, 2011
12:00 PM
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Merrill, WI 54452
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