Mary Heimforth

SUTTONS BAY — Mary Ann Heimforth passed away Thursday, Nov. 10, 2011, at Munson Medical Center, from complications following surgery. Mary Ann was born July 23, 1931, in Flint, and recently celebrated her 80th birthday in style with a surprise beach party given by her children at her Suttons Bay cottage.Mary Ann Erickson attended high school at Mount Mercy Academy in Grand Rapids then enrolled in Saginaw St. Mary's Hospital School of Nursing and graduated in 1952. She worked for McClaren Hospital in Flint and for General Motors as a nurse in their Buick Assembly Plant in Flint.She met her husband, Edward Heimforth, on a blind date arranged by their parents and married him on April 18, 1953, at All Saints Catholic Church in Flint. They remained in Flint to raise their family and retired to Suttons Bay in 1990.Mary Ann was, first and foremost, a treasure hunter. She loved antiquing and garage sales and was not beneath dragging her sons-in-law along for what she called 'dumpster diving.'She was the queen of recycling and a 're-purposer'; not as much as a paperclip went to waste.She also loved reading every column-inch of The Leelanau Enterprise, watching The Antiques Roadshow, bargain shopping and most of all, finding and inscribing 'gifts with meaning' from her treasure trove for her family members.Mary Ann is survived by her four children, Ellyn (Glenn) Tarrant, of Traverse City, Eric (Angela) Heimforth, of Pellston, Holly (Jim) Griesen, of Owosso, and Ann (Kevin) Elsenheimer, of Traverse City. The loves of her life were her 20 grandchildren. She was rarely seen without a sterling silver necklace on which hung the birthstones of Corbin, Philip, Kendall, Hannah, Austin, Galen, Jon, Emma, Keegan, Olivia, Chandler, Noah, Jacob, Sayler, Zealand, Zennor, Zavier, Seville, Savian and Havyn. She was also recently presented with her first great-grandchild, Sophia. Mary Ann is survived by half-sisters, Jean (Jim) Gaudet, of Royal Oak, and Judy Rutkowski, of Mansfied, Ohio; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Russell and Olga Heimforth, of Loudon, Tenn.; and sister-in-law, Donna Erickson, of Gray, Tenn.She was preceded in death by her husband, Edward in 1991; mother, Ann Wisler; father, Raymond Erickson; stepfather, Andrew Wisler; stepmother, Lila Erickson; half-brother, Raymond Erickson Jr.; and many aunts and uncles.A memorial service for Mary Ann will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Traverse City on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 11 a.m., with visitation one hour prior to the service. A luncheon will follow.The family asks that memorial contributions be made in Mary Ann's name to the Father Fred Foundation. Father Fred presided over the wedding of her youngest daughter and the funeral of her husband. Mary Ann always had the highest regard for him and supported the work of his foundation.Kindly share thoughts and memories with Mary Ann's family on the online guestbook at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.

Mary Heimforth

November 10, 2011