Mary Agnes Weingarth

Mary Agnes Weingarth, 98, passed in peace on Friday, January 22, 2016, at her home in Shelbyville, IN. Born March 20, 1917, in Shelby County, she was the daughter of George Michael and Mary Elizabeth (Murphy) Kuhn. She married Carl Gustave Weingarth on March 7, 1942, and he preceded her in death on December 11, 1993. Survivors include children, Judy C. Sprengelmeyer, Randall L. Weingarth and Tina L. Vogel Reese; grandchildren, Christopher L. Vogel, Jenell Z. Coulter (Greg Accolla), Ryan C. Murphy (Sarah Penrose), Sarah R. Murphy (Michael Price), Jessica E. (David) Hettwer, William C. Murphy and Mary E. Murphy (Ryan Lewis); great-grandchildren Henry, Levi, Lexi, Roman, Ali, Malia, Demari, Peyton, Syrys, Faran, Teagan, Elias, Hendrix, Ella, Jaxyne and AryAuna; sister, Betty A. (George) Hoeltke; nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. She also was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Hazel Parker; brothers, Glenn Kuhn, Wesley Kuhn and Garnett Kuhn; granddaughter, Grace L. Murphy; and great-grandson, Naja Price. Agnes started school in Union Township at the age of 4 after begging to ride the "hack" with her older sister on Hazel's first day and never "getting tired of it" as people said she would, graduating from Morristown High school in 1933 at 16. She peeled tomatoes at the Morristown canning factory during summers and never enjoyed eating tomatoes but loved peeling and canning them for everyone else the rest of her life. She was a secretary for the U.S. Farm Services program set up by Congress in the 1930s under which federal farm programs were administered locally. The office was based at the Shelbyville Post Office and she traveled to other parts of Indiana to help allot farmlands and loans to qualified farmers. She worked as a legal secretary and also in the Shelby County Clerk's office, where she issued marriage licenses and had the distinction of issuing Shelby County's first locally issued passport, previously handled in Indianapolis. Agnes and her husband acquired a family farm from relatives and later a number of rental properties in Shelbyville, forming Weingarth Properties with their children to supervise and maintain the properties. Agnes was a lifelong member of Zion United Church of Christ in Shelby County, where she met her husband, both of whom taught Sunday school classes and served on the board at separate times, she as only the second woman to do so. She made sure each of her grandchildren were confirmed at Zion. She also served on the board of the former Gordon's Children's Home in Shelbyville and welcomed all the children at the residence to Christmas dinners at her home. She was active in PTA while her children attended Colescott-Pearson School, right across the street from her home, and in Der Meistersingers local theater group who presented plays in the school gym (now Human Services), hosting cast parties at her home. She was an excellent seamstress and made numerous outfits for her family, as well as majorette uniforms and many of the elaborate gowns worn in Shelbyville High School's annual May Festival. Until recently, she made sure each of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren had handmade quilts soon after they were born. Agnes loved traveling with her family, playing cards with friends and solving both jigsaw and crossword puzzles; but her greatest joy was attending church at Zion every Sunday, as she did her entire life with few exceptions, and she was able to celebrate Christmas Eve 2015 at her home with family before attending her last church service and participate in communion at Zion's Christmas Eve Service. Visiting hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at Freeman Family Funeral Homes, Carmony-Ewing Chapel, 819 S. Harrison St. in Shelbyville and from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, January 28, 2016 at Zion United Church of Christ, 7025 East County Road 100 North, Shelbyville. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church, with Rev. Jamie Kent officiating. Interment will be at Zion Cemetery in Shelby County. Memorial contributions may be made to Zion United Church of Christ.