Mary Elizabeth Kissel

Mary Elizabeth Wendelboe Kissel, beloved wife and mother, passed away on February 22, 2021 at IU Health Bloomington Hospital at age 91. Mary was born in Warren, Pennsylvania in 1929 to Nicolai and Mildred (Seigworth) Wendelboe. Mary road her bicycle to take flying lessons before she could drive a car, earning her pilots license at age 16. After graduating from Warren High School, she completed the nursing program at the University of Rochester. Mary became a serious, amateur bridge player while in college, eventually becoming a multiple-life master. One of her favorite stories was how she played bridge through the night on a ship in the North Sea during a hurricane - and keeping hold of all the cards. Mary met her husband, Wesley Kissel, on her first day working as a registered nurse. Mary and Wes celebrated their sixty-sixth wedding anniversary in 2020. They raised four children in Indianapolis, before moving to Bloomington Indiana in 1985, where they have resided ever since. Mary was a member of First Presbyterian Church. Besides playing bridge, Mary’s hobbies included tennis, gardening, sailing, traveling, and hiking. Mary will be greatly missed by her son Steven (Cathy) and daughters Virginia Miele, Margaret (David) Gohn, and Carolyn Kissel, fourteen grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. A private service will be held at Day & Deremiah-Frye Funeral Home. Memorials may be made in her name to First Presbyterian Church, 221 E 6th St, Bloomington, IN 47408.