Graveside Services for 84 year old Ella Berry of Stillwater, OK will be Friday, October 21st at 10AM at the Brighton Township Cemetery in Marne. The Dighton-Marler Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements with the Roland Funeral Service assisting locally.
Ella Mae (Schermerhorn) Berry went home with Jesus Tuesday October 11, 2022. Services have been entrusted to the care of Dighton-Marler Funeral Home of Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Mae was born March 30,1938 in Kit Carson County, Colorado to Daniel Dewey and Jeanette Genevieve (Quintin) Schermerhorn. She was the fifth of seven children.
June 10, 1956 she married Donald W. Berry. They made their homes on a wheat ranch near Limon, Colorado, a cattle ranch near Superior, Montana (1968), a dairy near Grygla, Minnesota (1972), Storm Lake, Iowa (1978) and Stillwater, Oklahoma (2011). In each community she was active in the United Methodist Church. Church and family were the center of her life. She was a witness of Christ’s love to her family, friends, neighbors and to anyone who interacted with her.
In 1975 the family hosted an exchange student Luis Andrade from Sao Paulo Brazil. He visited Don and Mae in 1997 at their home in Storm Lake and has remained in touch with the family. Luis hosted Keith Berry during a business trip to Brazil and also hosted Janet and Bruce Barringer while they visited Rio Janerio, Brazil for the 2016 Olympics. Mae’s granddaughter Jennifer Simpson, competed in the Rio Olympic Games. During Mae’s recent illness Luis flew to Oklahoma to spend time with her.
Mae was a devoted wife and worked alongside Don in every aspect of their farm and ranch life. After they moved to Storm Lake she worked in the local hospital as a ward clerk for 20 years. In retirement she and Don became world travelers to China, Australia, Fiji Islands, Europe several times, Newfoundland Canada, Galapagos Islands, Panama Canal in addition to numerous trips across the United States including Alaska and Hawaii, always including stops with extended family. They enjoyed 10 winters in a costal home in Florida near family and attended activities with grandchildren and watched many Space Suttle launches and returns.
Mae loved to bake sourdough bread and did so almost every week. Sharing the bread with family, neighbors and friends. It is worth noting that as she kneaded the bread dough for “10 minutes” she would pray. She would start with her siblings then her own children and grandchildren and eventually great grandchildren as well as others on her prayer list. She always said the time flew by. She also was known in every community she lived in to always have the coffee pot on and ready to share a cup and visit. Many will miss the sweet fellowship they shared with her at every interaction.
Mae was preceded in death by her husband and four siblings. She is survived by her daughter Janet Barringer and her husband Bruce, her son Keith Berry and his wife Mary Ann, and her Brazilian son (exchange student) Luis A.G. Andrade of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Mae was blessed to have five grandchildren: John Barringer and his wife Dani, Jennifer Mae Simpson and her husband Jason, Emily Barringer, Dennis Berry and his wife Angela, and Dana Deegan and her husband Justin. She also had 11 great-grandchildren. Mae lived a full life filled of Gods richest blessings. She will be missed by all who knew her. She leaves each of us with a legacy of her Faith in God and the love she showed to everyone.
Family requests memorial donations be made to Stillwater First United Methodist Church in c/o Dighton-Marler Funeral Home, 5106 N. Washington, Stillwater, OK., 74075.
