Adelaide Mayer

Dates

Obituary

Adelaide Mayer, 106, passed away Monday, September 9, 2024, in Baltimore, MD. Funeral services will be at 10:30 AM Friday, November 8, at Holy Family Catholic Church in Mitchell. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell. Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7:00 PM at Bittner Funeral Chapel with a 6:30 PM prayer service.

A livestream of Mary Jo’s Funeral Mass can be viewed at: https://www.mitchellcatholic.org/whats-new/livestream

Regina Adelaide Mayer was born July 20, 1918, on a farm near Parkston, SD, she was the youngest of eleven children in the Joseph and Adelheid (Ruettgers) Friedrich family.

How does one even begin to describe such an amazing woman who lived to be 106! In a few words, she was a woman ahead of her time, defying expectations of a wife and mother.

Mother of eight children, Adelaide managed a household as well as a successful family business, City Printers. She and husband Lawrence B. Mayer equally shared roles and responsibilities, setting an example for all, but for their four daughters and four sons foremost.

Of strong German heritage, Adelaide was a woman of conviction and purpose. Smart and incredibly well-read, she kept abreast of news and current events, local, state and national. Almost to the very end, her special daily passion was watching the PBS News Hour.

Engaging, never hesitant to express an opinion, Adelaide could firmly but gently take issue with one’s point of view, or behavior for that matter. Still, for all her adherence to principle and decorum, she was compassionate, understanding, and above all kind and loving.

Adelaide was a woman of strong faith and truly enjoyed life, especially time with her children, grandchildren (21) and great grandchildren (38). They were thrilled to be with her, too, particularly if it involved a game of cards or Scrabble, the latter she invariably won with an obscure two-letter word, one being “q.”

She was an excellent seamstress, and late in life, worked at G.F. Buche Co. in Mitchell, assisting customers in buying fabrics and patterns. She loved to shop herself, for scarves and hats in particular, always interested in the latest fashion and stylishly dressed.

While not without hardship, her life was well lived. No regrets. Well, perhaps one or two. After seeing a film about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Adelaide remarked, “I should have been a lawyer.” She had also expressed an interest in going to college. She embodied the ideal that ordinary people are capable of the extraordinary.

Her marriage to Larry, their 35 years together and the joy of their children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren, all of this is nothing short of extraordinary. They met in a Parkston cafe. He had just arrived from Ipswich to work at the Parkston Advance as a columnist and printer. The year was 1941. They were married on October 9 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

In time, they settled in Mitchell, where Larry and a colleague started City Printers. Adelaide worked at the shop. In 1960, Larry and Adelaide became sole proprietors. In 1967, City Printers merged with Mitchell Printing. Adelaide left and went to work at G.F. Buche Co. Larry remained with Mitchell Printing, in charge of production. He retired due to poor health in 1972. With more time together, they traveled, visiting their children. On April 23, 1976, he died of cancer at 65.

When she lived in Mitchell, a small, decorative plate hung on a kitchen wall with the following inscription: This is my house and I do as I darn please. The same is true of the life she lived. That became abundantly clear at a family wedding in Annapolis, Maryland on April 16, 2016.

To everyone’s surprise, she decided not to return home to Mitchell. Rather, she chose to remain in Baltimore and reside with her daughter Martha. Adelaide’s eldest son, James, also was living near Baltimore. The wedding in Annapolis was that of his son, Jeff, and Rachael Caruso.

Alone in Mitchell, she had outlived many of her friends and family members. She wanted more in the remaining years of her life. Her decision to do as she pleased and live in Baltimore was probably the best thing for her, adding years to her life.

Adelaide spent her remaining years visiting museums and art galleries, attending concerts, dining in restaurants, the Marie Louise Bistro was her favorite. With house cat sweet Alice her constant companion, she read, worked puzzles, and napped. Refreshed, she would visit restaurants managed by Martha’s husband, Paul Dougherty. Once there, she would arrange flower settings. Nobody did it better.

A member of Saint Ignatius Catholic Church in Baltimore, she regularly attended Sunday Mass when able. Sag Harbor vacations also proved good for the soul. Best of all by far was time spent with her grandchildren and great grandchildren in the Baltimore area.

Adelaide is survived by her eight children: Martha (Paul) Dougherty, Jim (Susan) Mayer, Paula (Bob) Giesey, Joy (Dick) Jones, Jeanne (Al) Johnson, Steve (Linda) Mayer, Gregg (Suzanne) Mayer, and Joe (Karen) Mayer; 21 grandchildren, and 38 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, 10 siblings, husband Lawrence Bernard Mayer and granddaughter Katharine Jordan Kaplan.

The family wishes to thank all who cared for Adelaide at Stella Maris in Lutherville-Timonium, hospice nurse Lisa Ballard in particular. Special thanks as well to Karen DeHart, her Stella Maris roommate, a great source of comfort, one to another, in their 18 months together.

A final note: Adelaide enjoyed dining by candlelight, and at evening’s end, she delighted in blowing out the candles. Taking one in hand, she would draw hearts, circles, whatever came to mind, with the smoke ascending from the extinguished flame.

Blow out your candle, Adelaide, and ascend to your new home in heaven, for surely this is pleasing to God.

Suggested charitable donations in memory of Adelaide:

• Justice & Peace Ministry, St. Ignatius Catholic Community, The Jesuit Church of Baltimore,

740 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. st-ignatius.net/justice-peace

• Stella Maris in Lutherville-Timonium, 2300 Dulaney Valley Road, Timonium, MD 21093.

stellamaris.org/donate

• Holy Family Catholic Church, 222 North Kimball, Mitchell, SD 53701 mitchellcathoic.org/

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