Mary Lehman Yoder, 87, devoted wife, loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, of West Liberty died on Sunday, May 9, 2021, at Green Hills Care Center.
She was born in Champaign County on July 18, 1933, the daughter of Daniel E. and Ruth Baumgartner Lehman.
She was preceded in death by her husband J. Samuel (Sam) Yoder. She is survived by daughters, Suzan (Jeff) Hooper of West Liberty and Maleia (Don) Greenberg of Cleveland, brother, Joe (Donna) Lehman of West Liberty, sisters, Hilda Yoder of West Liberty, Ann Lehman of Pittsburgh, and Phyllis (Don) Jaquet of Dalton, sister-in-law Shirley Lehman of Hermitage, Missouri, grandchildren, Bill and Ben (Leslie) Hooper of West Liberty, Elyse (Elliot) Kort of Chicago, and Melanie Greenberg of Cleveland, great-grandson Henry Hooper and great-granddaughter Lydia Kort.
She was also preceded in death by brother Ernest Lehman, brother-in-law Wilfred Yoder and great-grandson James Leo Hooper.
Mary was born southwest of West Liberty where her father was a dairy farmer. She lost her mother as a teenager and with her sister, Hilda, helped her father raise their younger brother and sisters.
Mary and Sam were married on April 19, 1953. They started housekeeping in the ‘little house’ on the Yoder home farm where daughters Suzan and Maleia were born. Mary and Sam moved to the main farm house in 1964 where she spent the next 50 years as a steady and loving presence for all.
She was an active member of South Union Mennonite Church and Bethel Mennonite Church as well as the Monday Afternoon Club and Green Hills Auxiliary. The sudden loss of Sam in 2005 was devastating but Mary found the strength to go on through her faith, determination and love of family. Her grandchildren meant the world to her and she took great delight in the birth of her great-grandchildren. Mary moved to a house at Green Hills in 2016 but the farm was still her home. She visited regularly, walking around the little house, tending the flowers and remembering her early years there with great fondness.
Mary was unfailingly kind and generous, a favorite aunt to many nieces and nephews. Known for her understated wit and soft laugh, she made everyone feel welcome and cherished the differences that make each one of us unique. She loved nature and hot weather and spent as much time as possible outdoors or on her shady front porch. She would often have in her care a stray animal, be it a cat, butterfly or peahen.
Mary lived her entire life within the few miles of rolling farmland between where she grew up and where she spent her final days yet was always curious about the world beyond her experience. She made her home a comfortable retreat for newcomers, family and friends. Mary’s gentle spirit, knowing smile, and caring ways will be missed by all.
Burial will take place at Fairview Cemetery, West Liberty. Donations may be made in her honor to Heifer International at www.heifer.org.