Mary Luers Obituary, Death – Mary Lois (Culp) Luers, 95, died at home on January 24th. Mary Lois Culp was born on June 15, 1927, in Rensselaer, New York, the youngest of five children of George and Olive (Osborne) Culp. She started playing the accordion and piano at a young age and continued to do so throughout her life, performing at Saturday dances and teaching piano during the Big Band era of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.
In 1945, Mary Lois graduated from Rensselaer High School and began working at Purdue University in West Lafayette. She met Marvin Luers when she came home to care for her mother, and she persuaded him to stay in the Rensselaer region. He has definitely cared for her since their wedding on April 24, 1948, at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Rensselaer. Soon after their marriage, Mary Lois began having trouble walking, and after several medical consultations, it was determined that she would need a wheelchair for the rest of her life. This was devastating for a 25-year-old newlywed, but Mary Lois handled the situation with grace and dignity. “There was nothing so bad that it couldn’t go any worse,” she insisted.
Marvin and Mary Lois were married for 66 years and have five children and nine grandchildren. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Despite her prior employment at PU, she enjoyed attending events for her children and grandchildren, as well as following IU! She was a member of the Jasper County Hospital Auxiliary, the Literary Club, the Pantry Pals Home Ec. Club, and the St. Augustine Women’s Group, among others. Mary Lois was an excellent seamstress and cook. Mary Lois dressed many Rensselaer women and was always happy to share her delicious banana bread or chocolate chip cookies with everyone who came by.
The kids loved her potato salad, deviled eggs, and Jell-O salads, and there was never any left over. She enjoyed picking vegetables and flowers from Marvin’s garden, which the grandchildren and children helped to establish every year. If Mary Lois knew you, she’d send you a handwritten message. She was one of the few people who still sent letters rather than emails. If you met Mary Lois, you’d consider yourself lucky, and once you did, you were friend and family. The instant you met her, you could tell she cared about you. Nothing could stop Mary Lois from achieving her ambition, save her inability to drive an automobile. She had a great memory and a great sense of humor. Her recollections of the stories and people she remembered had an impact on her. She was a great and inspiring woman to whom we may all seek for inspiration.
Mary Lois is survived by five children: Stephen (Deb) Luers of Greenwood, IN; Phillip (Pam) Luers of Pawleys Island, SC; Mark Luers (Kent Springer) of San Diego, CA; Susan (Allen) Nail of West Lafayette, IN; and Kevin (Debbie) Luers of Bloomington, IN. Mary Lois had nine grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. There are also eight great grandchildren and six step-great grandchildren. Her parents, husband, two sisters, and two brothers all predeceased Mary Lois.
Visitation will be held at Jackson Funeral Chapel, 250 N. McKinley Ave., Rensselaer, IN, on Sunday, January 29, 2023, from 1-5 PM CDT. Before the visitation, which begins at 12:45 p.m., a rosary service will be held. The funeral liturgy will be held on Monday, January 30 at 11:00 a.m. CDT at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 318 N. McKinley Ave., Rensselaer, IN. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Augustine School or that, in memory of Mary Lois, you conduct a kind deed for someone who is in need. The final resting location will be Mount Calvary Cemetery. J