Mary L. Anderson

It is with immense sadness that we announce the death of our sister, Mary L. Anderson, on Sunday, July 24, 2022 at New Dawn Rehab Care and HealthCare Center, Dover,  while in the care of Community Hospice of New Philadelphia.  Mary was born in Union Hospital on October 16, 1952 to the late Robert G. and Mary C. Contini Anderson.  She was a long-time resident of Seton Square Apartments, Dover, Ohio.

In her younger days, Mary was quite the cook and baker.  Although we all had our own favorite foods, we all agreed her home-baked pies and raisin-filled cookies were the best.  The first time she showed up at a family gathering with a store bought pie, we threatened to stop inviting her to our get-togethers!

She enjoyed watching TV, embroidery, sticker books, coloring, playing bingo, attending plays, eating out and going for long car rides.

Always reluctant to try new things it took quite of bit of effort to convince her she could travel alone on a plane but after her first plane trip she was hooked.  She made multiple trips to various states over the years and just could not understand why people were afraid of flying.  Reminding her she was originally afraid to fly fell on deaf ears.

Mary treated her birthday as if it was a national holiday.  It was not unusual to receive a list of potential birthday gifts months in advance of her birthday.  Being born just a couple weeks before Halloween, it was required that her birthday have a Halloween theme.

After we found out about her love of lighthouses, we filled her tiny apartment with lots of lighthouse  figurines, clocks, placements, and blankets.  If it had a lighthouse on it, it most likely made it into her apartment.

In 2017 Mary was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.  We were concerned the breast cancer would take her from us but she showed us, once again, what a strong person she could be.  She underwent a mastectomy and received the customary boost of radiation.  During her radiation visits, Mary began to donate her coloring book pages to the radiologist office.  She was honored that her coloring book pages adorned the office during her radiation therapy as well as long after completing treatment.

To her younger sisters, Mary was more than just an older sister. Shortly after the birth of our youngest sister, our mother’s health began to fail.  Although Mary was only about 14 years old, she stepped up to the plate and became a second mother to Jane and Bonnie.  With her youngest sister, Debbie, who was just an infant, Mary became a full time mother and to this day, Debbie considers Mary her mother.  In later years as Mary’s health began to deteriorate, it was Debbie’s turn to step up to the plate and she became a mother figure to Mary.  They had an amazing mother/daughter bond which lasted for 55 years.

Mary is survived by her siblings, Charles (Linda) Anderson, Jane (Earle Spamer) Anderson, Bonnie (William) Baumgardner, and Debbie (Mark) Heid; nieces and nephews Michael Anderson, Timothy (Angie) Anderson, Derek Anderson, Deanna (Victor) Miller, Teresa (Jared) Dunlap and Aaron (Oscar Sahagun) Baumgardner; grandnieces and nephews, Keenan and Gavin Anderson, Bethany and Hunter Durst, Caroline and Charlie Marie Dunlap, Grace Anderson, Emma Miller and step-grandniece, Rayanna Miller. She is predeceased by her parents.

A private inurnment in Stone Creek Cemetery, Stone Creek, Ohio will be held at a later date.

The family wishes to thank Community Hospice for their outstanding care and ask that contributions may be made in Mary’s memory to Community Hospice of Tuscarawas County, 716 Commercial Avenue SW, New Philadelphia, OH 44663.