Tharp, Mary Eddy 1911-2011

THARP, STEWART, ROBINSON, CHESNUT, SMIT

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/23/2023 at 11:17:32

Mary Tharp
1911-2011
Greenfield IA

Funeral Services: Monday, May 23, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. at the Greenfield United Methodist Church with burial in the Greenfield Cemetery.

Eastern Star Service: Monday, May 23, 2011, during her funeral service at the Greenfield United Methodist Church conducted by the Greenfield O.E.S. Chapter 91.

Family Visitation: Sunday, May 22, 2011, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Open Visitation: Sunday, May 22, 2011, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Memorials: To the Epilepsy Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, International Order of Rainbow for Girls or to the Greenfield United Methodist Church.

Mary Louise Eddy Robinson Tharp was born June 11th, 1911 in Adair County Iowa to Frank S and Louise F Eddy. She passed away on Thursday, May 19, 2011, in her apartment in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 99.

Mary joined a brother Hiram and sister Bessie at the family homestead in Jackson Township. She began her school days at Jackson Center where she attended through seventh grade. Mary then transferred and graduated from Greenfield High School in 1928. Following high school, she attended American Business College in Omaha obtaining a Business/Accounting degree. While in college, Mary was a member of the rapid calculations class which traveled around eastern Nebraska showing off their skills and competing with other schools.

Mary returned to the area in 1929, starting a job at the Adair County Farm Bureau and Extension office, where she remained until she married Merle Jay Robinson in 1936. Together they opened the Robinson Dairy on the southeast edge of Greenfield, an operation that blossomed with the dairy doing all of its own pasteurization and deliveries. In 1939 the dairy built a new modern barn that Mary was able to lay the last brick for its foundation. In September 1942 the couple was blessed with a daughter, Betty Colleen. The couple later sold the dairy in 1945 and in 1948 Jay passed away. Mary moved back to Greenfield where she worked at Schildberg Chevrolet and rented out rooms to different business working gals in the house she owned on the north of the city park. In 1953 Mary was elected Adair Country Auditor and through the courthouse she met her second husband Glen Tharp. They were married in May of that year. Glen had a son Ralph and daughter Arlene. Mary began to work as school secretary for the Bridgewater-Fontanelle Schools in 1961 and worked there until 1976 when she retired.

Mary was one to never sit idle, so she did work some other part time jobs here and there and also did a lot of volunteer work for the Methodist Church and was very involved in the Rainbow Girls and Eastern Star, Wesley Circle, Federated Women's Club, VFW Ladies Auxiliary, Knitting Club, Tuesday morning ladies Coffee Club, and Red Hat Society.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents; siblings; both husbands; stepdaughter, Arlene and husband Melvin Chesnut; son-in law Greg Stewart; granddaughters Colleen Chesnut and Donna Smit.

She is survived by daughter Betty Stewart; stepson Ralph Tharp and wife Marion; 6 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 27 great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and friends. ~ The Lamb Funeral Home, Greenfield, Iowa 19 May 2011.