Mary Joanne (Pohlmann) MARINI

POHLMANN, POHLMAN, MARINI, OLSON, DOYLE, CHAPMAN, CUNNINGHAM, HENZE, COLASESSANO, JONES, ERLAND, JACKSON, NELSON, MALLON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/16/2016 at 14:36:36

July 3, 1925 --- April 7, 2016

Mary Joanne (Pohlmann) Marini, 90, died peacefully in her sleep April 7, 2016, in Grosse Pointe, MI. She was born July 3, 1925, to Edward and Mabel Serena (Olson) Pohlman in Eagle Grove, IA. Before the birth of his children, Edward added an "n" to his family name to facilitate mail delivery, but after the daughters left home, he and his son returned to the original spelling. As a child growing up during the depression, Mary Jo once lived above City Hall falling asleep with an early Lawrence Welk band playing for a dance on the floor below. "Mary had a little lamb . . . who followed her to school" was a true experience. The sheared wool income provided her winter coat. She was 8th grade class president at the former Eastside Elementary. In her teen years she was involved in many school and Lutheran Church activities and was employed as a grocery clerk when bread was 5 cents a loaf. She graduated from Eagle Grove High School in 1943.

As an Army Cadet Nurse, graduating from Lutheran Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in 1946, she met Charles Marini, Jr. of Alliance, Ohio, a Navy mechanical engineering student in Chicago during WWII and they were married November 16, 1946. During their 53 years of marriage until Chuck's death in 1998, they resided in Chicago and East St. Louis, IL; Alliance and Norwalk, OH; Hammond, Indianapolis, and Mooresville, IN; Utica(now Shelby Twp.), Warren and Homer, MI; Youngwood (New Stanton), PA; and Lake Wales, FL. Many of these communities benefited from her leadership positions as a volunteer in church and school groups, youth organizations (especially 4-H), various civic clubs and other community activities. She was an avid reader with a thirst for knowledge especially in the health field; a crossword puzzle aficionado; a patron of the arts; a good cook, scratch baker, and canner of peaches, tomatoes, jams, bread and butter pickles, and children-picked cherries from backyard trees for making pies, cobblers, and crisps. Also passed along were family heritage recipes of Kringla, a Norwegian cookie; German sweet-sour potato salad, Italian homemade pizza (long before it became a staple in the American diet), and her husband's favorite Coconut Cream Pie. She had a passion for "new adventures" and traveled extensively (alone or with family or friends) coast-to-coast and North and South, mostly by car or camper with opportunities to take in the scenery, parks, architecture, historical and cultural sights, museums, presidential libraries and other points of interest. On occasion, she also traveled by plane, helicopter, or hot air balloon (for her 80th birthday) and enjoyed Caribbean, Alaskan, and Hawaiian cruises.

However, her most treasured role was that of mother of 6, grandmother of 9, and great-grandmother of 21. Survivors are daughters: Kathleen (Gerald) Doyle, Mooresville, IN; Mary (Thomas) Chapman, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI; Margaret (Richard) Cunningham, Washington, MI; and Karen (Scott) Henze, Lake Worth, FL; and sons: John (Jackie) Marini, Warren, MI; and David (Cynthia) Marini, Muncie, IN. Grandchildren: Brian (Donna) Doyle, Jennifer(Gary) Colasessano, Kevin (Jennifer) Doyle, Michael (Stephanie) Doyle, Glenn (Emily) Marini, Brent (Kristin) Marini, Christopher (Melissa) Chapman, Ann (Drew) Jones, and Brianna Cunningham. Great-grandchildren: Blase, Cecilia, Xavier, Finnian, Gemma, Juliana and Kateri Doyle; Remington and Garin Colasessano; Tidus and Kaylin Doyle; Olivia Doyle; Caroline and Lucia Marini; Landon, Cora and Claire Marini; Laura and William Chapman; and Sofia and Drew Michael Jones. Also surviving is a brother, David Pohlman of Boulder, CO, and a passel of Pohlman descendants. Preceding her in death besides her husband and parents are sisters: Vera Erland, Vivian Jackson, Maxine Nelson, and Delores Mallon. Family and friends will gather Friday April 22, 2016, 10 AM, until time of the Celebration of Life memorial service 11 am at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, 8129 Packard Avenue, Warren, MI, Interment will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Eagle Grove, Iowa, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lake Wales Little Theatre, PO Box 3428, Lake Wales, FL 33859.

A. H. Peters Funeral Home of Grosse Pointe -- Grosse Pointe Woods, MI

http://www.ahpeters.com/obituary/Mary-Joanne-Marini/Grosse-Pointe-Farms-MI/1608658