Mary Jeanne Hinnen

Mary Jeanne Hinnen, 94, of Overland Park, KS passed away Oct. 29, 2016. Her funeral service will be 11am, Friday with visitation at 10am at Countryside Christian Church, 6101 Nall Ave. Mission, KS with a graveside service at 2:30pm, at Sunset Memory Gardens, Atchison, KS. Mary Jeanne Hinnen was born to Velda Eva (Cox) Marlatt and Charles Lester Marlatt on March 24, 1922 in Atchison, Kansas. Her growing up years were spent helping her mother in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up after hot meals made for her father, three brothers and additional farm help. Her free time was spent with her best friend, Florence, who was also her Aunt and ten years older. She married Walter Hinnen July 13, 1940, and they produced three children: Joe, Velda and Pam.

In the late 1940’s, they acquired land to build on, and they set to work mixing mortar and laying cement block to build a garage, which their family lived in for about three years before a house was constructed on the front part of the property.

She worked in Atchison in mop factory for a while and then worked as a bookkeeper for The Atchison

Electric Shop owned by her father-in-law.

She became involved in Girl Scouts serving as a scout leader, president of The Atchison Council in 1953 and was elected president of the Vallehi Girl Scout Council in 1960. She was actively involved in her church and was Sunday school superintendent for many years at the First Christian Church of Atchison. She carried the charter for the White Shrine in Atchison and the charter for the Social Aides of the Bureaucrat in Atchison, and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

December of 1963, the Hinnens moved to Merriam, Kansas. She found work at K.U. Medical Center in the insurance billing department and retired from there.

In searching for a church home, the Hinnens settled in with the Countryside Christian Church and developed lifelong friendships with their Sunday school members. Mary Jeanne became an organizer for the church’s mature social group calling themselves “Funagers,” and she earned herself the title “The Boss”.

She was a loving sister, mother, grandmother and friend: generous with her time and talents and a great cook.She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter; her daughter, Velda Hanson; her brothers, Milton, Lester and Roy Marlatt. She is survived by her son, Joseph Hinnen (Jim); daughter, Pam Bay (Bill); grandchildren, Colleen Hanson Hall, Travis Bay and Tom Bay; great grandchildren, Courtney Hall, Oliver Bay, Charlott Bay, Agatha Bay, Mattie Bay, Clara Bay, Violet Bay, Jack Bay and Winter Bay and great great grandchild, Mason Whiles.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Countryside Christian Church, 6101 Nall Avenue, Mission, KS 66202