Mary R. Shields

Mary R. Shields, 100, went peacefully to her eternal home on Sunday, September 12, 2021. Born on June 20, 1921, in Mechanicsburg, PA, she was the daughter and second born to the late Daniel and Mary (Martin) Ritter.
Mary was granted permission to leave school to help at home, thus her life’s hard work began much earlier than most. In 1939 she met her future husband and they married on December 20, 1941. She was a lifelong farmers wife, who loved working along side her husband and gardening. After retiring from the farm, she worked part time for Wayne Noss Flowers and later Royer’s Flowers.
She has read her Bible through several times and taught in the Children’s Department of most of the churches to which she belonged. She was currently a member of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Carlisle where in addition to teaching, she loved to help with hoagie sales, basement sales, and to make our famous apple dumplings. Her pride and joy was her huge garden where she spent much of her time from spring through fall.
Surviving are her daughter, Mary Ann (Sheldon) Brymesser, her son Al (Terri) Shields, two sisters, Clare Rollar of Jacksonville, NC and Marian Deckman of Mechanicsburg, six grandchildren, Michael, Rebecca, Julie, Matthew, Amy and Stacy, 12 great grandchildren, Cody (born on her 75th birthday), Emily, Morgan, Blayne, Katherine, Jordan, Madelyne, Elainia, Noah, Adleigh, Harper and Lexi.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Otho, two brothers, Samuel and Daniel Ritter, 6 sisters, Ruth Lindsay, Velma Fertenbaugh, Dorothy Kreitzer, Alice Rudy, Esther Taylor and Millie Heffner and a grandson Thomas Wayne Brymesser.
Services will be held at 2PM on Sunday, September 19, 2021, with a visitation from 1PM – 2PM at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, 480 Park Dr., Carlisle, PA with Pastor Matthew Plant presiding. Private interment will take place at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Boiling Springs.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the church or to the Sarah A. Todd Memorial Home, 1000 W. South St., Carlisle, PA 17013.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hoffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 2020 W. Trindle Rd., Carlisle, PA 17013. To sign guest book please visit www.HoffmanFH.com.