Mary E. Wharram

Mary E. Wharram, age 91, from Sylvania, Ohio, went to be with her Lord and Savior on May 18, while at Swanton Valley Rehab Center in Swanton, Ohio. She died from complications related to vascular dementia.

She was born to Roy and Marjorie Wharton Hulbert on March 2, 1932, in Harpersfield, Ohio and grew up in Geneva, Ohio. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her son Jeff, sister Betty Zaranec and brothers Howard, Bill and Gene Hulbert. She graduated from Geneva High School in 1950 and attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Mary studied Early Childhood development at Owens Tech.

During her second year at Ohio University, she contracted spinal meningitis, which resulted in her getting epilepsy at age 40. Mary met Bruce Wharram while working at the Colonial Restaurant in Geneva and they were married June 27, 1953.

Mary is survived by her loving husband Bruce A. Wharram, her sister Marjorie Roberts, her children Howard (Karen) Wharram, Bryan (Nerlande) Wharram, Cindy Kendall, and Ruth (Josh) Baldwin, eleven grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

Mary has been an active member of Christ Presbyterian Church since its inception in 1956. She taught Nursery School there for 9 years and dearly loved it. In fact, she loved to play with any little kids.

Mary was a Monarch butterfly enthusiast, having raised hundreds of beautiful monarchs from that tiny little egg. This process is one of God’s many miracles.

Mary went on numerous mission trips to Haiti and enjoyed playing “jacks” with the girls, who would pick up a bunch of pebbles to use in the game.

Mary greatly enjoyed family camping, primarily in Michigan, where they started using an umbrella tent and then graduated to pop-up tent trailers. After the kids all left home, she and Bruce bought a motor home. Going through several iterations, they traveled from Maine to Florida, Texas and California. They especially enjoyed camping in Holmes County Ohio, beautiful Amish country.

Mary was a wonderful, beautiful, faithful, kind, loving and God fearing wife, mother, grandmother, great-grand mother and teacher. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Visitation will be held at Holland-Springfield-Walker Funeral Home (7438 Airport Hwy.) on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 2 pm - 7 pm. The family will celebrate Mary's life on Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 10 am at the Christ Presbyterian Church (4225 W. Sylvania Ave) with burial to follow at Toledo Memorial Park.

Donations in memory of Mary may be given to Ohio Living Home Health – Hospice Care, Swanton Valley Rehab Center, 401 West Airport Highway, Swanton, OH 43558, or Christ Presbyterian Church, 4225 West Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH 43623.