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 of Chelsea, MI, formerly of Dexter, born March 6, 1929 in Adrian, Michigan the daughter of John & Viola (Grubbs) Schmidt, she died at age 85 on Saturday, February 14, 2015 at the Chelsea Retirement Community.

Mary Jo was a smart, creative woman, a veracious reader, an artist, writer, and lover of animals and nature. She never wavered in her efforts to make our world a better place. A loving, kind person, she always championed the underdog, teaching us that everyone brought something special to the table. Busy raising 4 children, she worked as a Sunday school teacher, room parent, Girl Scout leader, and crossing guard. Later she served our high school, Robichaud, first as the library clerk, then secretary to the principal, and lastly secretary to the district’s special education department in the Westwood school district in Dearborn Heights.  

Upon retirement in 1992, she moved to Dexter, MI to be close to her youngest grandchild, Zac. With her other children in Utah and Colorado, she became a lover of the red rock country and mountains in the west.  Despite the distances that spread out her family, she found a way to bring us together every summer.  Family vacations were very important to her and her family.

She loved us so much and let us know everyday by her actions and words.  Her exit on Valentines day is the perfect setting for all that she wanted us to remember. She will be missed enormously by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. What she valued will live on through all of us.


 Survivors include two sons, John (Marilyn Likins) Erlacher of Utah, Michael (Debbie) Erlacher of Lincoln Park; two daughters, Kathy (Marc) Morhous of Dexter, Mary (Jack) Phelps of Colorado; 6 grandchildren, Michael (Lauren) Erlacher, Nicole (Will) James, Michelle (Dave) Porter, Zachary Morhous, Jeffery (Ronda) Kulas, Kelly Kulas; and 6 great-grandchildren, Rowan Erlacher; Tiffany, Taylor, Kalista, & Kahla Kulas, and Trever Chapa.  She was preceded in death by her husband, George William Erlacher; and two sisters, Helen Garthwait & Marilyn Alexander.


   A memorial service was held Friday, February 20, 1:00 pm at Chelsea Retirement Community Towsley Chapel, Chelsea, with Rev. Dr. Ray Maurer officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to American Heart Association or the Huron Valley Humane Society.

 

Please sign Mary Jo's online guestbook, and share a memory or message with her family.