Mary F. Carper

March 16, 1919 ~ January 11, 2020
Mary Florence Smith Carper, 100, died January 11, 2020. She was born on March 16, 1919 and graduated from Sheffield High School in 1937. She married Donald P. Carper, Sr. on February 21, 1939 and they lived for many years in Buda, Illinois. She is survived by sons Donald (Charlene) Carper, Jr. of Ponte Vedra, Florida; Thomas (Gayle) Carper of Macomb; Joseph (Nancy) Carper of Sheffield; daughter-in-law Annette Carper of Macomb; seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, seven step-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Donald, daughter Janice, and sons David and Michael.
Mary and her four siblings were raised by their widowed mother in Sheffield, Illinois. She worked as a cafeteria cook in the Western High School District, Buda, from 1966 to 1987. As such, she knew several generations of students and kept up with their lives through local newspapers, which she read every day until her death. She also befriended many neighborhood children and often said “You can never have too many grandmothers.” From 2007 until her death, she lived at Liberty Village, Princeton, where many of these friends re-connected at her 100th birthday party in March, 2019.
Mary loved visiting Suzie’s Slots in Princeton and Psycho Silo, which was originally a railroad stop where she once played with a childhood friend. To the envy of many, her red hair never turned grey. Mary was active in the Share Program, Buda Veterans Day Dinner, American Legion Auxiliary, Home Extension, and the Red Hat Society. She was a member of the Buda Methodist Church where she taught Bible School, Sunday School and was treasurer.
Visitation will be at the Grant-Johnson Funeral Home in Princeton on Friday, January 17, 2020 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm. Funeral services will be held at the First United Church of Christ, Sheffield, on January 18, 2020 at 10:00 am. Burial will take place in Hopeland Cemetery, Buda. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Buda Hopeland Cemetery, the Sheffield Rescue Squad, or the Western Bureau County Food Pantry. Online condolences may be sent to www.grant-johnsonfh.com.
Condolences, Tom.
I am just so sorry for your loss. Mary was such a kind, fun-loving lady! I have wonderful memories of her from school and from being a part of the community. She will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you. God bless you much.
You will be missed by many .
Tom,Joe, so sorry for your loss,your mom was a special woman who will be dearly missed
Tom,
I remember your mom well from back in the day we did sleep overs at each other’s houses.
She was a dear lady.
The Roberts family
Sorry for the loss of your mom. Her kindness and loving presence has left an imprint on the hearts of those who had the blessing of knowing her.
So sorry for your loss! Mary was always so kind and helpful at school when I started my teaching career! Wonderful lady!