KAUFMAN, Mary (Yoder) - b. July 21, 1929 - d. March 3, 2021

[patyrn]

Mary Kaufman, age 91, passed away March 3, 2021 in Elk Falls, Kansas.  She was born to Enos and Lydiann (Bontrager) Yoder on July 21, 1929, the fourth of six children.  She was raised on a farm near Yoder, Kansas.

Mary attended and graduated from Hesston Academy in Hesston, Kansas where she met her husband, Glenn Kaufman.  Glenn and Mary were married on February 25, 1949.  After living in Idaho for a year, the couple moved back to Yoder, Kansas where their son, Gerald, was born.  In 1953, they ventured to Walker, Missouri and purchased a 160-acre dairy farm with daughters Jane and Peggy being added to the family.  In 1960, they returned to a Kansas farm north of Newton, raising cattle, sheep, and horses.  Meanwhile, their third daughter, Jeana, was born.  By 1982, Mary and Glenn had turned from farming to ranching and began raising beef cattle near Howard, Kansas.

Mary was a dedicated mother who stayed home to raise her family and helped Glenn with farm work.  She was a homemaker, wonderful cook, and preserver of foods.  She also enjoyed her flower and vegetable gardens.  She had many hobbies:  sewing, needlework, reading, bird watching, cooking, baking, and collecting recipes.  She was a member of the Hesston Mennonite Church in Hesston, Kansas and attended Calvary Chapel of Elk Falls, Kansas. 

Mary and Glenn celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary in February 2021.  They had a wonderful life together.

Mary is survived by her husband, Glenn; her children, Gerald (Jessie) Kaufman of Kansas City, Kansas, Jane (Steve) Fry of Elk Falls, Kansas, Peggy (Keith) Frye of Middlebury, Indiana, and Jena (Ron) Schneider of Hesston, Kansas; 6 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Homer Yoder.

A private burial has taken place near Hesston, Kansas.  Services have been entrusted to Countryside Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington, Howard, Kansas 67349.

(taken from the Countryside Funeral Home website)