A soft-spoken, yet bright and devoted advocate for equality and charity, Mary Jane (Henly) Wechter, 93, passed away early Monday morning, November 27th, 2023, at Moravian Manor, Lititz, PA. She was the loving wife of the late Robert L. Wechter, sharing 64 years of marriage. Born in a farmhouse on Stevens Rd., Stevens, PA, on July 10, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Jacob H. and Elva (Royer) Henly.
Mary Jane cherished her memories of life growing up on a farm. The family later moved to a farmette in Ephrata during her teenage years. She excelled in academics, graduating at the top of her class from Ephrata High School in 1947. Post-graduation, Mary Jane worked at Ephrata National Bank. She married Robert on May 26th, 1951, and during his US Air Force service, they lived in Springfield, Ohio where she worked for a mortgage company. Returning to Ephrata in 1954, they eventually settled into their new house in Akron, PA on Christmas Eve 1955, with their two-month-old twins, Diane and Rita. Later they welcomed son George and daughter Karen.
Mary Jane’s vocational life was diverse. She served as a bookkeeper for Lancaster Association for Retarded Citizens and was a licensed real estate agent. Her volunteerism extended to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley and Girl Scouts. She actively supported Native American, wildlife, environmental and education causes, and organizations combating homelessness, poverty and disease.
A dedicated member of Salem Lutheran Church, Ephrata, Mary Jane served as associate organist and choir member for 40 years. Her involvement included the Lutheran Church Women, Social Ministry and Worship and Music committees. She was especially devoted to coordinating the annual comfort-making project for Lutheran World Relief.
Mary Jane was a committed and supportive mother and grandmother. She loved to play table games with her family, and could regularly be found in her folding chair on the third base line at her grandsons’ baseball games. She spent many happy times with family, extended family, church family, and friends at her and Robert’s Mt. Gretna cottage.
Her hobbies included collecting stamps, coins, souvenir plates, historical publications, and vintage dishes and linens. She loved music and had a particular fondness for big bands and crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. She loved to laugh at silly humor, starting her day with the morning comics and ending it with a sit-com and Johnny Carson. She liked chicken pot pie, root beer floats and coffee milkshakes.
Mary Jane and Robert’s love for travel took them across the United States and the world, often accompanied by family. They cherished their annual trips to Ocean City, New Jersey with children and grandsons. Mary Jane was also renowned for her cooking and baking, especially her corn, shoofly and pumpkin pies.
She is survived by her children Diane Wechter, Rita Wechter (Timothy Byers), and Karen (Michael) Lowrie, along with three grandchildren, Mark, Robert, and Paul Lowrie, and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her son George, and brothers Norman and Clarence Henly.
The family expresses gratitude for the caring nurses and staff at Moravian Manor, and for Masonic Village Hospice for their assistance in her care in her final month.
All are invited to a viewing and visitation with coffee and doughnuts to be held on Saturday, December 2nd at Salem Lutheran Church, 1331 W. Main St., Ephrata, PA, from 9 AM to 10:30 AM, followed by the funeral service at 10:30AM, and burial immediately thereafter at Mellinger’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Schoeneck, PA.
Memorial contributions can be made to Salem Lutheran Church, Ephrata Public Library, Historical Society of Cocalico Valley, Care International or St. Joseph’s Indian School.
