Mary Louise Sohngen

Mary Louise SOHNGEN, Age 90, of Hamilton, died at her residence on June 15, 2007. She was born November 6, 1916, in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of George and Alice (Fowke) Way. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother who died in infancy. She is survived by a daughter, Constance W. Sohngen. She also leaves three cousins, Rosemary Nankervis, David Birch and Graham Birch and their families, all of England. She has remained close to the family of Neil Sohngen, Sr. Mary attended Smith College and graduated in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in history. She was a lieutenant in the Navy, having graduated with the first class of WAVES. During World War II she served as an inspector at Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company in Hamilton. During the 1950's she was active in the League of Women Voters in Hamilton, sometimes serving as president. She taught English at Taft High School in Hamilton from 1962 to 1964. She then taught English at Miami University from 1964 to 1982, when she retired. She obtained her PhD from Miami in 1973. She was very interested in women's issues and in the 1970s directed a study of the status of women at Miami. In the early 1980's she was a member of the Hamilton Board of Education. Toward the end of her career Mary became involved with the Scripts Foundation and Gerontology Center at Miami and taught a course on the elderly in literature. She was a member of Chestnut Club, Senior Citizens, and did volunteer work for Vitas Hospice and the public library. She was very active at Trinity Episcopal Church where she was a member of the Altar Guild, was the first woman on the Vestry, and was a lay reader and greeter. She very much enjoyed her bridge club of long standing. She enjoyed traveling to many parts of the world and attended Elderhostels in the U.S. and abroad. Her funeral will be on Tuesday, June 19, at 2:00 at Trinity Episcopal Church. The service will be conducted by Father Paul Daggett. There will be no visitation. Memorial contributions may be made to Emergency Money Fund, PO Box 142, Hamilton, OH 45012 or Trinity Episcopal Church, 115 N. 6th St., Hamilton, OH 45011. Her family wishes to thank Dr. Kathleen Lang and her staff and the staff of Vitas Hospice for their very dedicated care of Mary

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Mary Louise Sohngen

June 15, 2007