EVENT CELEBRATIONS

Thanksgiving Day in 1943 brought on a special occasion as Mary and George prepared and hosted the Thanksgiving dinner for their son, Richard’s, temporary stay at home while on furlough from the military. The Richland Garden Club hosted a floral event at the Rushville Union School on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, June 9, 1956. Mary received a red ribbon for her use of peonies which ranged from deep rose colors to light pink shades. Six months later the club hosted a Christmas party at the W. C. McCandlish residence on Ireland Road. After president Mr. Dwight From opened the meeting, Mary led the program and evening events. Various members took turns reading different Christmas stories, where Mary read a humorous one titled, “Christmas As Seen By Willie.” Mary attended many various meetings with the Richland Garden Club and held different positions such as secretary and treasurer at various times. She later was given the honor to host the meeting at her residence south of Rushville in January 1957. She also participated in the Republican Women of Rushville and West Rushville. Mary remained involved as she served the members refreshments at one of their coffee hour meetings in the town hall on October 29, 1958.

FAMILY LOSS

During the forty-seventh year of their marriage, Mary lost the companionship of her husband, George, as death interceded on Monday, November 10, 1958, to take him away, and then over a year later, she lost her son, George Jr.

CLASS REUNION

Several years later, on July 20, 1961, the former students of the Carroll High School gathered together and held the reunion for the graduating class of 1940 at the Greencastle Parish House, which used to serve as one of the one-room school buildings years ago. Among the listed contributors were COL. Seth Dildine, who led a memorial service for those who recently passed away who attended the school. Mary led the group with a reading and provided information from the previous year’s reunion. Reverend Chester Alspach gave a memorial service to the class which “featured the 21st annual reunion of scholars who attended the little red brick schoolhouses in Bloom Township and their teachers.” Also, Mary Hummell Rainier led a vocal solo arrangement and had Alva Hemmpleman accompany her in the performance. Dinner and ice cream were shared among them all during the event.

LEGACY

By the fall of 1968, Mary’s health took a turn and the local Lancaster Eagle-Gazette reported Mary as a patient of room 304 at the Lancaster-Fairfield Hospital on Friday, November 22nd. She had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, November 13th and the hospital discharged her by Monday, December 9th. Less than a month later, before the end of the year, Mary passed away on Saturday, December 28th in Rushville at the Murphy Nursing Home in Richland Township at 82 years old. Her family had her laid to rest in the Carroll cemetery next to her husband, George. George and Mary’s son, William Courtright Brandt, died three months later in Lancaster, Ohio.