Mary Louise Hartranft Delhomme

Mary Louise Hartranft DelHomme was born May 11, 1927 in New Philadelphia, Ohio, to John Nagely McCullough and Virginia Rockwell. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Dorothy McCullough Reich nephew John Reich and husbands. She died July 18, 2024, in Houston, Texas, which was her home for almost 70 years, completing a long, faith-filled life of 97 years. She is survived by her son, John Karl Hartranft, Cypress TX, grandsons Cody and Chase LeBlanc and their families; nieces and nephew Suzanne Opperman from Fargo ND and Jane Slayden and David Reich from Portland, OR and all the larger family of loved ones.

In her childhood, she loved her collie dog, Lassie and for a short while, even had a pet rooster when the family visited grandparents in rural Florida. In her youth, Mary Lou enjoyed swimming, hiking the local hills with her great uncle George (Fafa) and skating on the pond in winter after school. This lead to her involvement in the school athletic association and later to pursue an Athletics degree at Ohio University in Athens Ohio.

For a time she worked the summers at the Waldheim Resort on Big Moose Lake in NY which held some of her fondest memories. After college, her job with Eastern Airlines brought Mary Lou and her roommate to Houston where the rest of the story begins.

Mary Lou met her husband, Mark Hartranft, introduced by a friend, at St Stephen's Episcopal Church in Houston TX. They were married on October 7, 1961. They were overjoyed with gratitude upon the arrival of their son, John Karl in 1965. Their home became a hub for many gatherings and many pots of coffee. All who knew them felt the strength of their gifts of welcome, truth and unconditional love. As a couple, they served a wider community of faith through their Episcopal Supply House Bookstore for almost 20 years with good books, church supplies, gifts and good conversations. They were together for 33 years until Mark's death in 1994. The impact they had on generations of the friends of Bill W will long be appreciated.

In later years, she found companionship when she married Daniel DelHomme enjoying travel near and occasionally afar. The community of good friends they shared at Clarewood House in Houston, TX enriched their life immensely and was home at the time of her passing. We warmly thank all of the staff for their compassionate care. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister Dorothy McCullough Reich and husbands.

In lieu of flowers, the family will appreciate your thoughts and rememberings on the memory page. Also, if you so wish, memorial contributions in honor of Mary Lou can be made to: the Ostomy Association of Houston or Grace Episcopal Church, Houston.

The memorial service will be on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at 11:00 am at Grace Episcopal Church, 4040 SW Bellfort Avenue, Houston, TX.