Mary Ann Verkamp, age 78, died on August 23rd after courageously facing cancer for many years. She was born on August 24,1942, the eldest of seven children of Albert & Augusta (Krampe) Verkamp of Ferdinand, Indiana, a small, German farming community. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Paul Brown; son Jeremy (Erin) Brown; daughter Sarah (Nick) Klingler; five grandchildren: Annemarie Klingler, Marin Klingler, Ada Klingler, Gabriel Brown, and Anna Brown; siblings: Joe Verkamp, Ruth (John) Wibbels, Carol (Ted) Burger, Dennis (Camille) Verkamp, Rachel(Roger) Hurm, sister-in-law Phyllis Verkamp and 20 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Eugene Verkamp.
Mary Ann attended Ferdinand Elementary School where she initially had some difficulty speaking English, as her family had spoken mostly German at home. This early experience with language deeply influenced her career. Upon graduation from high school, she entered Monastery Immaculate Conception, a Benedictine community in Ferdinand. She remained a member of that community for sixteen years, which shaped her life both spiritually and professionally and created many lifelong friendships.
Mary Ann began her teaching career at Resurrection School, followed by Christ the King School, both in Evansville, Indiana. Her passion for the German language and culture, however, led her to earn a Master’s degree in German. In 1971, she began her German teaching career at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville. After five years, she moved to Indianapolis to teach German at Carmel High School. She left teaching in order to stay home with her children during their formative years, but returned to teaching at Cathedral High School and then Hamilton Southeastern High School for 18 years.
In every school where she taught, enrollment in German rose significantly during her tenure. Her students frequently tested into advanced levels of German in college, many of them majoring or minoring in German, and she spoke with great pride of those who carried forward a passion for German into their lives and careers. Frau Verkamp, as she was known to her students, received a number of awards for her teaching, including two Eli Lilly Teacher Creativity grants. She also organized several exchange programs with schools in Germany and traveled there many times.
While in Germany, Mary Ann developed her love of walking, as she explored different cities and led student groups on hikes in the Alps. Returning home, she made walking a part of her daily life, but this soon turned into jogging to shorten her time. Her jogging led to 5k runs and eventually her first Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. She enjoyed her first “mini” so much that she ran four more.
True to her farming roots, Mary Ann loved gardening. In their first home, she and Paul had a small garden that they soon expanded to a neighbor’s property. A few years later, they moved to their current home with two acres and ample space for growing vegetables and flowers. In particular, her bread-and-butter pickle recipe was legendary in her family.
Faith and spirituality were very important to Mary Ann and remained so throughout her entire life. From these stemmed a deep sense of love and compassion that was apparent to anyone with whom she spoke. She had a devotion to helping underserved populations, particularly women and children. A member of St. Simon the Apostle Catholic Church, Mary Ann worked with the Gabriel Project, which assists women who are pregnant or new mothers. She also promoted the organization, Bread for the World, through a parish letter- writing campaign to legislators. For many years, Mary Ann was an active member of the Oblates of St. Benedict.
Nothing pleased her more than spending time with her five beautiful grandchildren who knew her as “Oma.” Through babysitting, reading, special meals, walks in the park, attending school programs, sporting events, many camping trips, and sleepovers, their love affair with Oma flourished.
We would like to thank Dr. Sumeet Bhatia and Dr. Courtney Buratto at Community Cancer Center North, as well as the dedicated staffs of Horizon Oncology and Aseracare Hospice for their professional and compassionate assistance during her extended illness. We also thank those who contributed flowers to “Oma’s Garten,” which brought her much joy and consolation.
In her memory, please consider donating to one of the following organizations: Sisters of St. Benedict, Ferdinand, IN, (https://www.thedome.org/), Women for Women International (https://www.womenforwomen.org/), The American Cancer Society (https://www.cancer.org/), Bread for the World (https://www.bread.org/), or Doctors Without Borders (https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/)
Friends may call from 4 - 7pm, Friday, August 27, 2021, at Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary, 2126 East 71st St, Indianapolis, IN, 46220. Calling will continue on Saturday, August 28, from 9 - 9:45am followed by remembrances from 9:45 - 10am at St. Simon the Apostle Catholic Church, 8155 Oaklandon Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46236. A Mass celebrating Mary Ann's life will follow at 10am, and will be live streamed, but the link will not be ready until close to Mass time. Go to saintsimon.org for details.
A peace meal at St. Simon will be held after the graveside service. All are welcome, and the family requests that masks be worn and social distancing practices are followed.
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