Mary F. (Morman) Marnocha

Sep 20, 1919 - May 17, 2011

SOUTH BEND - Mary F. Marnocha, 91, of South Bend, Indiana, passed away Tuesday, May 17, 2011, in Memorial Hospital of South Bend. Mary was born September 20, 1919, in Dowagiac, Michigan, to Julius and Michalena (Hladka) Morman. She had been employed as a secretary with Indiana Security Employment until her retirement in 1984 at the age of 65.

On June 29, 1946, in St. Hedwig Church, Mary married Raymond J. Marnocha, who preceded her in death on March 15, 2001. She was also preceded in death by sisters, Anna Horvath and Helen Torok; and brothers, Mike and Stanley Morman.

Surviving are her daughter, Barbara (Stanley) Phelps of South Bend, Indiana; her son, Jim Marnocha of Santa Maria, California; and a grandson, Matthew (Erin Muldoon) Blaschke of San Francisco, California. Mary was a member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church.

She loved her family and being a homemaker and mother. When Barb and Jim were small children, she celebrated holidays and birthdays to the extreme, and even held celebrations for their half-birthdays. She continued with her love of holidays throughout her life and decorated for every event, small and large. Mary was a voracious reader and passed that love of reading on to her children. She also was persnickety about the English language and would cringe when people misspoke. She was an anglophile who enjoyed the people and history of the UK, and at age 91, woke up early on April 29 so she could watch the Royal Wedding. Until her later years, she never missed an election and taught her children the importance of the vote. When she voted, she would take the kids along and allow them to go behind the curtain with her as she cast her ballot. She spoke repeatedly about her love of her country, the beauty she saw in the American flag, and the freedoms that she held dear.

As a cook, she excelled and loved to put meals on the table for her family. No one made a better pie crust or gravy than she did. Along with that, she loved to eat, and was a joy to entertain, and there was never a question that a meal included wine for grandma. Old movies were a favorite of hers, and she followed the lives of many of her favorite movie stars. She also loved to sing and would serenade anyone who would listen with a wide range of music. In her younger years, she loved to dance and enjoyed the Big Band songs. Her son visited frequently and she enjoyed his many visits and the times that she had her entire family together. The light of her life was her only grandchild, Matt, and he shared a special bond with his grandmother. When Matt learned to drive, he and Grandma had a weekly date and they would shop or lunch and have their time together. She treasured those outings. When Matt married, she embraced his wife Erin into the family and quickly took the opportunity to teach Erin how to make her famous pierogi. She was a vibrant woman who loved the color red, as evidenced in her clothes and nail polish. Her personality was so bright that everyone she met remembered her, and any conversation about her makes everyone smile. Mary will be missed terribly by her family and friends.

SOUTH BEND (IN) TRIBUNE, May 19, 2011

Sources: Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com

10/04/2025 EJS