Mary Frances Spanbauer's Obituary
Mary Frances (Sheppard) Spanbauer, 88, of Westerville, OH, peacefully passed away Saturday, October 17, 2015 at Columbus Colony Elderly Care in Westerville, OH.
Mary was born to Frances Virginia Bates and Thomas Neal Sheppard in Dallas, TX on October 6, 1927. She attended the Texas School of the Deaf and graduated from Illinois School of the Deaf, Jacksonville, IL in 1945. Upon graduation, she was hired to work for a manufacturing company assembling household products in Decatur, IL. She met her future husband, Paul E. Spanbauer and they were married at the St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Decatur on July 26, 1947. In this union, she bore three children: Virginia (Spanbauer) Furman, Pauline E. Spanbauer, and Eric F. Spanbauer. Mary was a long time member of St. Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Decatur and the Silent Club of Decatur. She worked at the Sears Roebuck Store in downtown Decatur from 1969 to 1976. In 2000, she and her husband moved to a deaf residential community at Columbus Colony Housing, in Westerville, OH. Mary loved to sew clothes, watch Hollywood movies with open captions, attend deaf Catholic Mass and community events, as well as, gardening vegetables in her own backyard.
She is survived by her three children: Virginia S. Furman (Spanbauer) of Knoxville, TN; Pauline E. Spanbauer of Lanham, MD and Eric F. Spanbauer and wife, Karen Spanbauer of Woodbridge, VA. Eight grandchildren: Rudy Furman and wife Rebecca Furman; Stephanie Slusher and husband Johnny Slusher, Willis Dacanay, Pali Dacanay, Karl Spanbauer, Josef Spanbauer, Eric Paul Spanbauer and Teddy Spanbauer. Two great grandchildren: Cruize Furman and Pierce Furman.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents Frances Bates (1986) and Thomas Sheppard (1959) as well as her beloved husband, Paul E. Spanbauer on June 4, 2008 at age 88 at the Columbus Colony Elderly Care. And son in law, Robert Furman (2014).
A mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 am on Thursday, October 22, 2015, at St. Thomas Catholic Church, at 2160 North Edward in Decatur. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church and burial immediately following at Calvary Cemetery at West Eldorado Street.
The family of Mary Frances Spanbauer is being served by Moran & Goebel Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2801 N. Monroe Street, Decatur, IL. View the online obituary, send condolences, and share memories to the family at www.moranandgoebel.com.
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