- Date Of Birth: January 20, 1939
- Date Of Death: August 17, 2021
- State: Michigan
Mary Jane Shoemaker passed away Tuesday, August 17, 2021, in Kalamazoo.
She was born January 20, 1939, in Holland, MI a daughter of Richard and Greta (DePree) Strabbing.
Mary was the 9th born of 10 children, she describes her childhood as being filled with dishes and laughter. After high school, Mary attended GRCC and received her LPN degree. She worked at St. Mary’s Hospital and then after her kids were grown, she continued her nursing career in various nursing homes around Kalamazoo. Despite not knowing how to herself, Mary was the best swim and ski instructor on Barlow Lake. One of her favorite activities was being in the water with her grandchildren. Her hobbies consisted of reading, sewing, puzzles, and playing cards. Mary by nature was a happy, quiet, and gentle soul but a competitive streak emerged any time you handed Mary a deck of cards. Her weekends were always spent with family; they were filled with cherished memories for all.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents and seven siblings, Robert Strabbing, Gladys Genzink, Donald Strabbing, Lois Tucker, Jerold Strabbing, Joyce Schipper, and Charles Strabbing.
On October 16, 1959, she married Roger J. Shoemaker, who survives.
Mary is also survived by her children, Randy (Anne Guyot) Shoemaker, Rita (Tom) Broekema, and Karen Shoemaker; grandchildren, Katelyn, Rachel, Krista, Kelsey, Sara, and Keely; great-grandson, Henry; sisters, Norma Van Popering, and Carol (Herman) Kolk; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Vern (Elaine) Shoemaker, Richard (Jane) Shoemaker, and Shirley Garlock; and many nieces and nephews.
