
on May 10, 2019. She was born at home in Union Township in Butler
County on April 6, 1916, the daughter of Edward Leland Morris and
Edith (Kohler) Morris.
Mary was the second oldest of four children (Stan, Mary, Helen, and
Marge) and grew up helping her parents on their farm where she learned
to be an excellent cook for her family and the farmhands.
Mary first attended school at the St Charles one room school in Reily,
Ohio. She graduated from the eighth grade from Springdale Elementary
School. Mary attended Fairfield High School where she played
basketball, baseball, and soccer as well as being an excellent student.
Mary graduated from Miami University in 1936 with a two year
teaching degree. She was a first and second grade teacher for 23 years,
having taught in Wayne Township in Ohio, at the Silver Moon School in
Diamond, Missouri, at Spring Hill Elementary in Middletown, and
retired from the Middletown School system. Mary had students from
her earliest first and second grade classes who continued to visit her
throughout her long life.
Mary was a life member of the Ohio Retired Teachers and the Butler
County Retired Teachers Associations, as well as a member of the
Middletown First United Methodist Church.
In 1941, Mary married W. Estel Davis, who was a principal at Monroe
High School and Central Office Administrator for the Middletown
School system. Estel preceded Mary in death in 1977. In 1978, Mary
married Maurice W. Ittel, who was a principal and superintendent of
Edgewood Schools and Mary’s principal when she taught at Wayne
Township School. Her parents, Edith and Leland Morris stood up for
them at their wedding. They were married at United Methodist Church
in Hamilton, Ohio and honeymooned in French Lick, Indiana. Maurice
preceded Mary in death in 2000.
One of Mary’s favorite pastimes was following the Cincinnati Reds
seasons. The Reds honored Mary on her 100th birthday with tickets for a
Reds game and she attended. She was also honored on her 100th
birthday with a letter from the White House.
Mary is survived by two sons, Bill (Jennifer) Davis of Greenville, South
Carolina and Terry (Judy) Davis of Louisville, Colorado as well as a
daughter Cheryl Ann Davis of Middletown, Ohio. She has three
grandchildren from her sons: Amy Davis (Dan Galvis) of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania , Jared Davis of Lafayette, Colorado , and Zach Davis
(April Bible) of Oakland, California. She is also survived by two great
grand daughters: Ginny Bible Davis and Sabrina Bible Davis of
Oakland, California.
Mary is also survived by two step sons, Steven (Kathleen) Ittel of
Wilmington, Delaware and David (Sondi) Ittel of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.
She has four step grand children Jeffrey (Nicole) Ittel of Mission Viejo,
California, Laura (Andrew) Lundgren of Wilmington, Delaware, Jason
(Molli) Ittel of Mission Hills, Kansas, and Sean(Chen) Ittel of Chicago,
Illinois. She is also survived by five step great grandchildren:
Alexandra, Julia, and Cora Lundgren, and Evan and Avery Ittel.
Mary will be laid to rest with her first husband, Estel, at Woodside
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Maurice W.
Ittel Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Hamilton Community Foundation
(319 North Third St. Hamilton, Ohio 45011) or at
www.hamiltonfoundation.org/donate-now/. A Celebration of Life for Mary will be Friday, June 21 at 2:00 pm at the Mount Pleasant Village chapel in Monroe. All of Mary's family and friends are invited.
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