Obituary for Mary Jeanne Hathaway
Mary Jeanne Hathaway left this world to be with Jesus on Friday May 13, 2022, at the age of 89. She was born on October 16, 1932, to James and Mary Ellen Webb in Brighton, Michigan. She later moved to Lansing where she attended schools, graduating from Eastern High School in 1950. She met and married Richard Hart whom she divorced 8 years later. There were no children from this marriage.
She then met and married David Hathaway on April 29, 1961. They were both members of Pilgrim Congregational Church and both were members of the senior choir for several years as well as the Lansing Oratorio Society. She was the designated soloist as she had studied voice for many years starting with Jan Weaver when she was 14 in exchange for being soloist at his church. Then at age 16, she auditioned with Carlton Eldredge, a blind tenor and music director at St. Mary's Church until she was 18, when he returned to Springfield, Il, his hometown. She then auditioned before 22 music instructors at MSU and was accepted as their only part time voice major.
During the years that Mary and David were married many churches gave their choirs summer breaks, so they supplied the special music, singing duets for many services. Because their church choir was a social group as well, Mary had an opportunity to meet his 4 children at various events. Since their birth mother had previously abandoned them, upon David and Mary's wedding day she became a mom to them as soon as arrangements with SS and Foster families could be finished. Mary and Dave went on to have 3 more children (in 2 years and 3 months), so in less than 4 years they had become a family of 9.
David was interviewed then accepted a position with Kellogg's in Battle Creek, so the family moved to Battle Creek in 1964. Because his work was in research and engineering, he spent a good percentage of his work life assigned to all areas of the country and insisted and encouraged Mary to go back to college and complete a degree that would help her if she needed to support the large family. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing, graduating as an R.N. and later went on to W.M.U. to obtain her Bachelor's and went to work as an Administrator at Arrowood Nursing Center. After leaving Arrowood, she went to work at the Veteran Administration in Battle Creek, as the head nurse for many years.
Mary then became interested in creative arts and loved oil painting, watercolors, and acrylic painting and sold many paintings. She also enjoyed hand building clay objects, making dolls and eventually did wood carving which gave her many hours of enjoyment.
Her husband, David and two stepsons, Jim and Richard preceded her in death in 2016. She is survived by her stepchildren, Sharon (Gaylord) and Chuck, and her 3 sons, Dan (Janie) of Hastings, MI, David (Jamie) of Sugarland, TX, and Doug (Kathy) of Webster, N.Y., loving grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her brother, Larry of Lansing, MI.
Services will be held at the Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service where cremation will take place and she will be buried with David at the VA cemetery in Augusta, MI, as he was an officer in the US Army Air Corps.
A memorial service will be held at the Urbandale Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 20440 Bedford Road N, Battle Creek, MI 49017, on May 24, 2022, starting at 11:30 am with a memorial luncheon to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Urbandale Food Pantry Battle Creek Foundation, https://bccfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1541
She then met and married David Hathaway on April 29, 1961. They were both members of Pilgrim Congregational Church and both were members of the senior choir for several years as well as the Lansing Oratorio Society. She was the designated soloist as she had studied voice for many years starting with Jan Weaver when she was 14 in exchange for being soloist at his church. Then at age 16, she auditioned with Carlton Eldredge, a blind tenor and music director at St. Mary's Church until she was 18, when he returned to Springfield, Il, his hometown. She then auditioned before 22 music instructors at MSU and was accepted as their only part time voice major.
During the years that Mary and David were married many churches gave their choirs summer breaks, so they supplied the special music, singing duets for many services. Because their church choir was a social group as well, Mary had an opportunity to meet his 4 children at various events. Since their birth mother had previously abandoned them, upon David and Mary's wedding day she became a mom to them as soon as arrangements with SS and Foster families could be finished. Mary and Dave went on to have 3 more children (in 2 years and 3 months), so in less than 4 years they had become a family of 9.
David was interviewed then accepted a position with Kellogg's in Battle Creek, so the family moved to Battle Creek in 1964. Because his work was in research and engineering, he spent a good percentage of his work life assigned to all areas of the country and insisted and encouraged Mary to go back to college and complete a degree that would help her if she needed to support the large family. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing, graduating as an R.N. and later went on to W.M.U. to obtain her Bachelor's and went to work as an Administrator at Arrowood Nursing Center. After leaving Arrowood, she went to work at the Veteran Administration in Battle Creek, as the head nurse for many years.
Mary then became interested in creative arts and loved oil painting, watercolors, and acrylic painting and sold many paintings. She also enjoyed hand building clay objects, making dolls and eventually did wood carving which gave her many hours of enjoyment.
Her husband, David and two stepsons, Jim and Richard preceded her in death in 2016. She is survived by her stepchildren, Sharon (Gaylord) and Chuck, and her 3 sons, Dan (Janie) of Hastings, MI, David (Jamie) of Sugarland, TX, and Doug (Kathy) of Webster, N.Y., loving grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her brother, Larry of Lansing, MI.
Services will be held at the Baxter Funeral and Cremation Service where cremation will take place and she will be buried with David at the VA cemetery in Augusta, MI, as he was an officer in the US Army Air Corps.
A memorial service will be held at the Urbandale Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 20440 Bedford Road N, Battle Creek, MI 49017, on May 24, 2022, starting at 11:30 am with a memorial luncheon to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Urbandale Food Pantry Battle Creek Foundation, https://bccfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create?funit_id=1541