Maryann Fero

When reflecting on the life of Maryann Fero, it is easy to see that there was a three-part harmony during her life’s song consisting of resiliency, quiet strength, and loving acts of service. Although she was more reserved in showing outward affection, she considered it her highest calling and greatest blessing to care for the children she shared with the love of her life. A faith-filled and generous woman, there were countless others who were blessed by Maryann in ways both great and small. The timeless memories she leaves behind are a shining legacy of a life well lived.

The thirties were some of the most trying days in the history of our nation as the Great Depression covered us like a thick fog. Countless Americans were without work and without homes and with a severe drought in our nation’s heartland, the food supply was only further crippled. There were glimmers of hope here and there, however, and this became very real for one young couple from White Haven, Pennsylvania, since they were blessed with the birth of a baby girl on January 28, 1935. Maryann was welcomed into the arms of her parents, Anthony and Anna (Decowski) Suchowesky, and was the oldest of seven children in her family. In response to these times of great hardship, Maryann’s parents left her in the care of her grandparents on their Pennsylvania farm while they went to Detroit where they found work. She was a happy child who spoke only Polish while living with her grandparents and loved running and playing, picking dandelions, and going into the woods to pick huckleberries.

It was as a young girl that Maryann learned to be responsible and the importance of a strong work ethic.Maryann also enjoyed feeding and watering their chickens and ducks in the spring and even had a pet cow named Spot that she sometimes rode like a horse!

When she was seven years old, Maryann moved to Detroit to be reunited with her parents. Their time in Detroit was short-lived, however, as they soon moved to St. Johns in order to escape the riots that enveloped much of the city. Once she was in St. Johns Maryann attended a one-room schoolhouse on Scott Road and developed a passion for reading. The relationship she shared with her parents while living at home was always strained, but much later in her life Maryann developed a closer relationship with her mother. She went on to graduate from Rodney B. Wilson High School.

Life truly began for Maryann when she married the love of her life. His name was Richard Fero and she knew him since she was an eight year old girl. Maryann loved him deeply and was so happy to become his wife on September 4, 1954. The newlyweds enjoyed a honeymoon visiting Niagara Falls and settled into an apartment in St. Johns where they began a new chapter in their love story that spanned more than 60 years altogether. They enjoyed a mutually fulfilling marriage and were very close, although she was certainly the boss!

Together Maryann and Richard were blessed with one son, Richard Jr., and four daughters, Darlene, Kathy, Annette, and Chris. They raised their family in the home on Ottawa Street where Maryann would remain for the rest of her life. Although she was not an openly affectionate mother, only because this was not the way she was raised, Maryann’s children always knew they were dearly loved by her actions. Everything that came out of her kitchen was spectacular whether sweet or savory, and she loved preparing Polish dishes for her family. Maryann was the disciplinarian while Richard was the more lenient one. There were always plenty of opportunities for fun in the Fero family, and some of their most precious times were spent at the cottage that Richard helped build with his father on Gray Lake in Lake Station. This became one of their favorite places to gather with family and friends for generations to come.

As the years went by and her children married, Maryann continued to treasure the times they spent together. The holidays were always special times in her house – times filled with traditions that weren’t so much about the tradition itself but more about the richness of the love they shared. There were always large Christmas gatherings with steam pudding on Christmas Eve, and lucky was the one who found the penny in their bowl as they were sure to have good luck the whole year through. Maryann was very crafty and loved putting her skills to good use to shower her grandchildren with her love. Each grandchild received a handmade quilt when they graduated from high school, and she was always a regular attendee at their various sporting events.

Although much of her time was wrapped up in her family, Maryann had additional aspects of her life that fulfilled her. She possessed a strong and unwavering Catholic faith and was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. She volunteered at the St. Vincent De Paul Store and also worked as a teaching assistant and bus driver for CACS Head Start in Lansing for 22 years before retiring in 1997. She loved bird watching and kept busy quilting, and she also loved being outdoors, especially spending time in her perennial garden.

Life grew more difficult for Maryann with the death of her beloved Richard after he lost his battle with cancer on March 29, 2002. She was deeply saddened with his death, but she remained active during the weeks and months that followed his death. Maryann spent a lot of time at their cottage and devoted more time to her volunteer work, and she also continued to savor the times she spent with her family.

It was her own battle with cancer that began just this past January that took Maryann from her loved ones.

With so much love to give, Maryann Fero blessed the lives of so many around her. She was a strong yet tender woman who was content in whatever life brought her. Memories of Maryann will remain near and dear to the hearts of many.

Maryann S. Fero died March 30, 2011. Maryann’s family includes her son, Richard Fero, Jr. of St. Johns, MI; four daughters, Darlene Morgan, Kathy (Curt) Pettigrew, Annette Grubaugh, and Chris (Dan) Cousineau, all of St. Johns; five grandchildren, Nathan Grubaugh, JoAnn Morgan, Andrew Pettigrew, Alex and Amber Cousineau; three sisters, Frances (Fred) Stehlik and Ann (Ron) Drumheller of Ovid and Patricia Rewerts of St. Johns; and two brothers, Stanley (Janice) Suchowesky of Lake, MI and John Suchowesky of Harrison. Maryann was preceded in death by her husband, Richard; sister, Stella Suchowesky; and brother, William Suchowesky. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00 a.m., Saturday, April 2, 2011 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial following at Mt. Rest Cemetery with Fr. Eoin Murphy presiding. The family will receive friends 2-4 p.m. and 6-8p.m., Friday, at The Osgood Funeral Home with a Vigil Service being prayed at 7 p.m. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a memory or make a memorial contribution to St. Joseph Catholic Church Educational Trust Fund.