Madge May Oberlin, 86

Madge May Oberlin, 86, passed away Wednesday, April 25, 2018. A long-time resident of the Bryan area, she had lived at Windsor Park assisted living residence in Carol Stream, Illinois the last four years of her life. Madge was born August 4, 1931, in Paulding County, Ohio, the daughter of Owen and Essie (Ketner) Hardesty, grew up in Oakwood, Ohio, and later moved to Defiance, Ohio, where she graduated high school in 1948. She entered Defiance College later the same year and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry in 1952. Madge married Perry Oberlin, Jr. who was a life-long dairy farmer and native of rural Bryan, on November 17, 1951, in Defiance and he preceded her in death on February 8, 2003.

Madge worked in a doctor’s office as a teen, managed business affairs and otherwise contributed to the work of the Willmont Holsteins family farm, and in her later years worked for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Bryan and ConAgra Foods in Archbold. She and Perry participated in the local Farm Bureau chapter, and Madge was an active member of Pulaski United Methodist Church. Her roles there included serving as treasurer for the United Methodist Women group and teaching adult Sunday School, where the class read through the entire Bible two times under her tenure. Madge was interested in genealogy, faithfully helped aging family members, and was adventurous to travel to Ireland and Indonesia in her seventies.

Surviving are a daughter Sharon (Scott) Martin, of Plain City, Ohio, and a son, Bill (Kelly) Oberlin, of Carol Stream, Illinois. She was proud of her six grandchildren; Sean (Melanie) Martin, of Carey, Ohio, Ian Seth (Beth) Martin, of Amherst, New York, Levi Oberlin, of Carol Stream, Isaac Oberlin, of Chicago, Illinois, Hannah Oberlin, of LaPlata, Maryland, and Joe Oberlin, also of Carol Stream. Madge was delighted to have four great-grandchildren as well; Emma, Josiah, Ruth, and Lydia Martin. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sons, infant Richard Dean and David Oberlin; and her older sister, Dorthy Thomas.

Visitation for Madge will be held Sunday, April 29, 2018, from 4:00-7:00 P.M. in the Krill Funeral Home, 860 Mulberry Street, Bryan, Ohio. Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 30, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. in the Pulaski United Methodist Church, 06950 US Route 127, Bryan, with visitation from 10:00-11:00 a.m. prior to the service. Interment will be at Shiffler Cemetery, rural Bryan, with a luncheon following back at the church.

Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider a memorial contribution to Pulaski United Methodist Church.