Mary Elizabeth (Kmetz) Frasz, 95 passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family at the home of her daughter in Goshen, Ohio on December 18, 2020.
Mary was born October 12, 1945 in Dayton Ohio to John and Anna (Sedlak) Kmetz. She graduated from Mansfield St. Peter’s in 1943. Mary married her high school sweetheart, Albert (Al) in 1945, together they raised 9 children. Al passed away in April 1986. Mary and Al enjoyed traveling, which she continued to do with friends and family after his passing. Holidays, birthdays and vacations with family were her greatest joy.
Mary retired from Montgomery Ward after 20 years as an assistant store manager. She was an active volunteer at St. Peter’s Church, where she was a founding member of the Feed the Needy Program. She volunteered in the parish office, where she helped keep the records, published the weekly church bulletin and managed the parish religious articles store. She was a captain of one of the funeral lunch teams, and visited the sick and shut-ins. She was actively involved with the bereavement team. Mary also volunteered with Catholics Charities and was a member and past president of Catholic Women’s Club. In November 2008 she was inducted in to St. Peter’s Hall of Fame.
Mary never had a downtime, through all her volunteering she found time to enjoy her hobbies of baking for family and friends, sewing for her grandchildren, gardening and painting. Mary was a member of the Mansfield Leiderkranz where she enjoyed getting together with friends for dinner and playing cards. In August 2008 the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging awarded Mary the Richland County Outstanding Senior Citizen Award. After convalescing at home from a stroke, Mary moved to St. Paul’s Little Sisters’ of the Poor Home in Cincinnati, January of 2013 where she lived until her passing.
Mary is survived by 8 children, Bruce (Phyllis), Thomas (Marie), Carol (Gregg) Matthes, Alan (Ann), Sheila (Ken) Prickel, Russell (Laurie), Rosanne (Lee) Hendrixson and Barbara (Richard) Wagner, and Bobbi Frasz, widow of Brian. She was blessed with twenty-four grandchildren, four step grandchildren, and twenty-eight great grandchildren. Mary is also survived by sister-in-law, Eleanor Reeder and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband she is preceded in death by her son Brian and daughter-in-law Ann Marie, great grandchild Grace, her brothers Frank (Grace) Kmetz and John Kmetz.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Little Sisters of the Poor, 476 Riddle Road Cincinnati OH 45220 or St. Peter Catholic Church.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated 11:00 am Wednesday at St. Peter’s Catholic Church with Fr. Tom McQuillen officiating. Friends may visit the family from 10:00 – 11:00 that day at the church. Burial will follow at Mansfield Catholic Cemetery.
Herlihy Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
