Though she moved to Maryland in 2018 to be closer to her family, Lorain, Ohio was the only place she ever called home. Born in Lorain on June 14, 1922, she was proud to have attended Lowell Elementary School, Whitter Junior High School, and Lorain High School, where she completed the 11th grade before later earning her GED from Lincoln High School in 1980.
Mary started working when she was just 10 years of age, returning home from her lessons at Lowell to help her mother with jobs that included cooking, baking, ironing clothes, and hanging laundry. She would later work for Stove Works, Bendix Westinghouse, and Lorain Brass; she also worked as a caregiver, and regularly visited nursing home residents.
Mary’s childhood and young adulthood provided her with countless memories that she carried with her – and happily recounted – until her passing: attending dances, roller skating, swimming at Oakwood Park and Lakeview Lake, post-Thanksgiving trips to Cleveland, berry-picking, and “practically living at the movies.” She fondly recalled attending Christmas parties hosted by the Salvation Army, where she left with a used gift, assorted hard candies, a couple of chocolates, and an orange…along with remembrances that literally lasted a lifetime.
Mary took night school classes to develop an expertise in gift-wrapping and cake decorating, and enjoyed many crafts, such as making sun catchers, crocheting sweater sets and afghans, sewing, creating felt Christmas ornaments, calligraphy, and paint-by-numbers artwork. Gardening, planting flowers, music, discussing current events, and watching old westerns brought her much joy, and her fancy cookies and unforgettable nut and poppy seed rolls brought similar joy – along with expanding waistlines – to her family and friends.
Mary was dedicated to her churches, St. Ladislaus, the Hungarian Reformed Church of Lorain, and St. Francis Cabrini, and served as a member of the Virgin Mary Society, St. Ann’s Auxiliary, St. Ladislaus Legion of Mary, St. Ladislaus Sick Benefit Society, Credit Union and Sick Benefit Society, Caring Circle, and Busy Marthas. Her contributions of cabbage rolls, hurka, paprikash, and other Hungarian delicacies were always longed-for.
Mary’s beloved husband, Alexander Louis Vargo, preceded her in death in 1991; they were married on July 10, 1943 – 48 years – and are now, once again, together. She is survived in this life by her daughters, Alexandra Smith and Janet Stockman; her son-in-law, Robert Stockman; her grandchildren, Sean Smith and Shannon Smith; her granddaughter-in-law, Aynsley Toews; and her great-grandson, Robin Smith.
As another sad result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a funeral service to be held in Lorain cannot yet be conducted; it will be arranged when it is safe to do so. In lieu of flowers, modest contributions to the aforementioned Hungarian Reformed Church of Lorain or Salvation Army Lorain Corps would be welcomed by the family.
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