Mary E. Farnum

Mary E. Farnum, age 86, passed away May 24, 2014 in Clinton Township, MI. She was born May 7, 1928 in Detroit, MI. She retired from the Warren Bank as a teller. She is survived by her children Kathleen, Nicolette, Melanie (Roman) Dudek, Lisa (Steve) Schmidt, John (Kimberly), Kirk (Terresa), Christopher (Christine), Todd, and Samantha Watson. She is survived by 25 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren, three brothers and one sister. She was predeceased by her husband John; children Jennifer and Joel; and grandchild Nikka. Visitation will be Wednesday at 3:00 p.m to 9:00 p.m., Thursday 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with a rosary at 7:15 p.m. at Resurrection Funeral Home 40800 Hayes, Clinton Township, MI 48038. A funeral mass will be held Friday at 10:00 a.m. at St. Margaret of Scotland 21201 Thirteen Mile, St. Clair Shores, MI 48082. Visitation at church 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m..

Mary and her husband John enjoyed dancing together and cut a mean rug during the many formal occasions at the military balls they attended on Macinac island. Mary represented Jjohn with beauty and loyalty as the wife of a Sergeant Major in the United States Army. Mary mastered the " school lunch making" assembly line by successfully providing lunches for 11 children daily and making sure they all remembered to take them to school. When she was a young mother Mary had the ability to keep an organized and efficient house despite the cares of 11 children and all of their friends. As she became a grandmother she continued to enjoy entertaining and playing with her 25 grandchildren and as she entered her golden years as a great grandmother she was blessed with the energy and ability to spend precious time with 21 more blessings of her legacy, which were her great grandchildren. Mary worked on and off as a bank teller through her life for a paycheck, but, her resume that went uncompensated would read doctor, lawyer, therapist, cook, maid,teacher, chauffeur, banker, lifeguard, gardener, laundress, tailor, stylist, beautician, confidant, and personal assistant to 12. Mary took pride in her cottage home on Lake Gaylanta where in her 70's she enjoyed the solitude and nature in the beauty of her surroundings. Mary was an innovator, and inventor, and a mathematical genius having mastered space logistics to house 13 in a four bedroom ranch. Having to improvise last minute school projects, creating a rotation of teenagers in a backyard pool and making a 20 slice loaf of bread stretch into 11 lunches. She will be sorely missed.

When someone is identified as a natural leader, certain images come to mind. First thoughts are of a no-nonsense, tough-minded, dedicated and disciplined person. This description accurately fits Mary E. Farnum who was indeed a born manager. She will be remembered as being highly organized, practical and realistic. She was a person who always carried a strong sense of duty with her throughout her life. Possessed with traditional “old school” morals, Mary was an individual who clearly communicated to those around her just who she was and what she was all about. Everyone acquainted with Mary knew her as a well-respected woman who was a stable force in her community.

Mary was born on May 7, 1928 at home in Detroit, Michigan. Her parents were Peter and Vincentina Simpson. Mary was raised in East Detroit, Michigan. Even as a youngster, Mary learned to be objective and decisive. Her faith in the principles of authority and dependability was something that she carried with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Mary was able to put her natural abilities to work. She was a bit like the sergeant of the family, helping to make sure that the others did what they should do and that they avoided those things they weren’t supposed to. In other words, she liked to organize and direct. Mary was raised with seven siblings. She had four brothers, Robert, Gerald, Joseph, and Russell, and three sisters Madaline, Norene, and Jacqueline. Mary had an inborn appreciation for the order in the family, allowing for the oldest members to be the most respected and to take on the most responsibility. For Mary, this was a natural order of life, one she gladly embraced.

Mary's matter-of-fact attitude about most things was developed during her childhood. As a young girl, Mary enjoyed being part of teams, and organizations and groups of other kids who shared similar interests. In her spare time she liked sewing, embroydery and reading. Mary's memorable achievements included.

In school, Mary was as close to being a model student as one could possibly imagine. She sought to achieve perfect attendance in all of her classes. She would eagerly complete her homework, and often put in extra study time when she felt it was necessary. A logical and focused thinker, Mary was always good at following directions and meeting her schedules, whether they were set by her teachers or were self-imposed. Mary’s personal motto could well have been, “Do it right the first time.” She graduated from East Detroit High School in 1946. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was English. She was the class clown.

Mary’s practical work ethic carried over into her college years. Her logical mind permitted her to work hard without succumbing to the usual distractions of college life. She would tackle an assignment and work through it before moving onto the next project. Mary’s orderly nature gave way to establishing personal study habits and procedures that not only helped her stay on track but often put her ahead of schedule. When Mary saw the need or benefit, she would willingly take on the extra assignment or even attend extra classes in order to learn more and become a better student. Her favorite courses were writing classes.

Mary was sociable and approachable. Because she was always so straightforward in how she approached relationships, friends and family knew that what they saw was always what they got. She enjoyed the camaraderie of being with a group of friends. When Mary was a member of a group, her interaction worked to keep the others grounded. She wasn’t afraid to confront her friends and, when necessary, she challenged them to stick to the task at hand. Those close to Mary came to expect her high standards of performance. While growing up, some of her best friends were Betty Kogelman and Sara Kitzmiller.

An objective and conscientious individual, Mary reveled in the security of her family. On December 26, 1946 Mary exchanged wedding vows with John Lenox Farnum at the St Veronica Catholic Church of East Detroit, Michigan. One of Mary’s most endearing qualities was her uncanny ability to remember important dates and anniversaries, and her unending enthusiasm for organizing a celebration for her family and friends.

Mary was ever watchful of her children. She worried about them and was deeply concerned for their development as they grew up. She maintained a firm hand in their upbringing. Mary would give her stamp of approval to their requests, as long as she could see how they might benefit. She also had the ability to enforce the rules as needed to ensure that her children were properly raised. Mary was blessed with eleven children, Kathleen, Nicolette, Melanie, Jennifer, Joel, Lisa, John, Kirk, Christopher, Todd and Samantha. They were also blessed with twenty five grandchildren, Heather, Jason, David, Michael, Kelly, Tania, Mandy, Erica, Jodi, Peter, Devyn, Joel, Nikka, Elysia, Brent, Abby, Theodore, Greta, Chloe, James, Jonathan, Sean, Faith, Ryan, Max, and twenty one great grandchildren Alexis, Andrew, Addison, Bryce, Jason,Janie, Sydney, Ian, Hannah, Jon, Anthony, Autumn, Victoria, Mia, Malachi, Isiah, Donavin, Keyleya, Khloe, Kyra, and Peter.

Being a hard worker who praised efficiency, Mary was always striving to make improvements where they were necessary. She was able to analyze situations and problems, keeping everything and everyone on track. An excellent project supervisor, Mary was a person who could quickly make decisions based on the information available. She worked cooperatively and expected the same from her colleagues. In both her personal and professional environments, Mary upheld her standards. Her primary occupation was being a fulltime Mom. She was employed at Warren Bank as a teller. Mary was a team player who certainly lived out the motto of “give me a job, and I will get it done.”

Mary approached her leisure time in the same manner that she approached her life. A person who enjoyed being neat and orderly and one who understood the nature of things, she appreciated the hours she was able to devote to her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were crossword puzzles, gardening, and bird watching. Mary was content to enjoy her favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Playing by the rules was a natural thing for Mary to do in life and that carried over to her enjoyment of sports. Recreational sports included bowling and swimming. She also was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were Detroit Tiger Baseball.

Being generous with her time and energy, Mary liked to belong to a variety of groups and organizations. She was a vocal leader who enjoyed being a part of things. Her desire to uphold traditions and her ability to take charge of any type of project made her a tremendous asset. Throughout her later years, Mary was an active member of the Warren Crime Commission.

A civic-minded person, Mary was usually ready to jump in and help with community activities. She was the type of person who could masterfully organize events and projects and then see to it that they were run in an efficient and timely manner. Mary was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the Raleigh Place Association as secretary. During these years, Mary applied her analytical intellect to problem solving and so was an asset on most committees.

Faith was important to Mary. She held high moral standards and was worried about the moral decay she saw around her. For that reason she held deep spiritual beliefs that she was willing to share. She was a member of St Edmonds since 1961.

When it came time to travel or take a vacation, Mary used her scheduling expertise to make sure everyone and everything was ready to go. That also meant that she made certain no single person was overworked in putting the trip together. Mary had a knack for making sure that everyone who was involved had their specific tasks and that those tasks were completed. Favorite vacations included trips to northern Michigan.

She used her critical evaluation skills to make sure that every detail had been preplanned and attended to. In retirement, she found new pleasure in the 50 Plus Club. In many ways, Mary loved retirement. It provided her with the opportunity to catch up with her friends, attend functions and group outings, and tackle new interesting activities.

Mary passed away on May 24, 2014 at Henry Ford Hospital Hospice, Clinton Township, Michigan. From complications with COPD. She is survived by nine children, 24 grandchildren, 19 great grand children, three brothers and one sister. Services were held at St Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church. Mary was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery, Clinton Township, Michigan.

All who knew her would agree that Mary was a pillar of the community. She lived her life with her feet firmly on the ground. She had a strong work ethic, was pragmatic in her thoughts and acts, and constantly sought the means for self-improvement. She was willing to share her ideas and knowledge for the benefit of others, so that they could accomplish more in their lives. Mary E. Farnum did her best to ensure that her family, friends, loved ones, co-workers, and everyone whose life she touched was given the chance to become a better person.