Mary L. Koontz, 95, died on Tuesday, July 3, 2018, at 9:10a.m. at Willow Ridge in Bluffton. She was born October 21, 1922 in St. Marys, Ohio to Theodore and Edna (Schmehl) Schultz who preceded her in death. On June 6, 1948 she married Jasper "Joe" Koontz and they celebrated 53 1/2 years of marriage before he died on Nov. 23, 2001.
She graduated from Bluffton High School in 1940. She attended Fredericks Beauty School, Lima, graduating in December of 1940.
Mary worked in beauty shops in Tiffin and in Bluffton. Mary taught the nursery class at the English Lutheran Church for 20 years.
She was a member of the St. John's United Church of Christ. Mary retired June 10, 2013, from the Bluffton Senior Citizens Center where she worked for 30 years as a crafts director.
Survivors include two daughters: Carol (Del) Heath of Rawson and Cherrie
Koontz of Bluffton, Ohio; daughter-in-law: Pam (Vincent "Doc") Eickholt of
Ottawa; son-in-law: Mack Shepard of Bluffton, Ohio; three grandsons: Dana
(Heather) Koontz of Harrod, Ohio, Lee (Lindsey) Koontz of Philadelphia,
Pa., and Craig (Janelle) Koontz of Las Vegas, Nevada; two step-granddaughters:
Tiffany (Jose) Aciesta of Statesville, N.C., and Lillian (Nelson) Van Pelt
of Germany; three great-grandchildren: Whitney, Kadin, and Kenzie Jo
Koontz; two step-great-grandsons: Sebastian Aciesta and Alexander Van
Pelt; three step-great-granddaughters: Victoria Van Pelt and Mia and
Jenevecia Aciesta; and one great-great grandson: Seth Koontz.
She was preceded in death by her son: Ken Koontz on July 31, 1991; and a
daughter: Kathy Shepard on April 4, 2010.
Visitation will be at Chiles-Laman Funeral Home, Bluffton, from 2-6 p.m. Sunday, July 8, and an hour prior (10-11 a.m.) to the funeral service on Monday, July 9, at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Interment will follow in Maple Grove Cemetery, Bluffton. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to her nephews, the Crates Brothers.
Memorial contributions may be made to the family. Online condolences may
be shared with the family via www.coldrencrates.com.
