Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....O'Connor, Mary V. 2006
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net August 11, 2010, 2:41 pm

The Ionia Daily Sentinel-Standard, June 2006
Mary V. O'Connor (Westorp), age 85, of Ionia, passed away peacefully on June 
9, 2006 attended by her family. With the faith she held so strongly and taught 
and shared with us daily, we know she now re-joined with John, her beloved 
husband of 56 years and Jo Ellen, her youngest daughter.

Mary was born April 13, 1921 to Albert and Elsie (VanderLaan) Westorp of 
Wyoming, MI. She attended Holy Name Catholic School and Catholic Central High 
School in Grand Rapids. A gifted pianist and organist, Mary served as 
accompanist for many school programs and as organist for Masses and weddings 
at Holy Name Church and at St. Andrew Cathedral.

Upon graduation from Catholic Central in 1939, Mary attended Aquinas College 
for two years, transferring to Western Michigan Teachers College (now Western 
Michigan University). She graduated from Western in 1943, receiving her B.A. 
Degree and Permanent Teaching Certificate. Mary taught music in the Covert, MI 
schools for the next four years, and has always carried the fondest of 
memories from that experience.

On July 12, 1947 Mary wed John P. O'Connor of Ionia at Holy Name Catholic 
Church. They made their home next door to O'Connor's Grocery in Ionia, the 
family business assumed by John from his parents the previous year. While John 
operated the store, Mary provided piano lessons in her home, a true vocation 
from which she never retired. She instilled in her many students the gift of 
music and many of them have passed that love unto the next generation.

As a member of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church of Ionia, Mary kept her hand 
in (and her eyes on) the “school scene” by substitute teaching and serving on 
the SS. Peter & Paul Board of Education as her growing family allowed. She 
also served on the Parish Council for many years. She was a member of the Our 
Mother of Perpetual Help Rosary Circle, the Daughters of Isabella, the Knights 
of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, the Ionia Women's Literary Club, Ionia Area 
Youth Musicians and the Cart & Lobby Guild of the Ionia County Memorial 
Hospital. Mary was always completely devoted to her family n their health, 
growth, education and jobs, and there is no scale on which her contributions 
to them can be measured, especially, their faith, character and love for one 
another.

She is survived by her children, Carol A. O'Connor of Clawson, Jean and Paul 
Barker of Ionia, Bob and Cindi O'Connor of Comstock Park, and Tom and Carol 
O'Connor of Orleans; grandchildren Suzanne and Kristine Barker of Madison 
Heights, Mike O'Connor of Comstock Park and Kevin and Tim O'Connor of Orleans, 
her brother-in-law Rex P. and Mary E. O'Connor of Ionia, several nieces, 
nephews and cousins and many wonderful friends. Mary was preceded in death by 
her parents, her husband, John, daughter Jo Ellen O'Connor, her brother Tom 
Westdorp, and sister-in-law Honora O'Connor.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered by Fr. Melvin Fox today at 11 a.m. 
at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, located at 434 High Street, Ionia.  There 
will be visitation at the Church at 10 a.m.  Interment will be in Mt. Olivet 
Cemetery, Ionia.  Visitation was Sunday and Monday at the Schrauben-Lehman 
Funeral Home, 220 Rich Street, Ionia.  Memorial contributions may be made to 
the SS. Peter & Paul School, the Ionia County Memorial Hospital or the 
Lansing/Ionia Area Hospice.


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