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MaryAnn Laubenthal

MaryAnn (Giesken) Laubenthal passed away on Saturday, October 31, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. She was born in Greenburg Twp on March 21, 1931 to Lawrence "Pop" Giesken and Sophia (Kahle) Giesken.   On September 30, 1950, she married Lewis "Boz" Laubenthal, who passed away in 1987.

She is survived by her children, Rebecca (Becky) Dershem, Richard (Marsha) Laubenthal, Ned (Donna) Laubenthal, Alan (Lynn) Laubenthal, Lisa (Rod) Siemet and Bruce (Stacey) Laubenthal, all of Ottawa, OH, and one sister, Kathleen Schomaeker of Ottawa.   She was blessed with 18 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.    She was preceded in death by a daughter-in-law, Sally Laubenthal; a son-in-law, Donald Dershem; and her siblings, Sylvia Conn, Ruth Brown, Robert "Bob" Giesken, and Kenneth "Bud" Giesken.

MaryAnn was a homemaker with many skills she shared with others.  As a seamstress, she did mending and repairs, but enjoyed mixing patterns to make new styles.   From her home she would create from scratch all the dresses for a bridal party, including the bridal gown, with her last bridal gown being for her daughter Lisa in 2001.  She also upholstered furniture for many years.  She loved to crochet and made an afghan for each of her children, each grandchild at graduation, and many baby afghans for her great grandchildren.  This was something she enjoyed to pass the time during her nursing home stay, and particularly in the COVID lockdown, when no visitors were permitted.

MaryAnn was a long-time member of the Glandorf CLC, holding several offices during her earlier years.  She belonged to the Kerner-Slusser Legion Post Auxiliary for over 50 years.  She was a member of the Tuesday afternoon bowing league for many years, serving as league secretary, calculating everything by hand long before computers kept score and established averages.  She loved playing cards - name the game and shuffle the deck.  For years she regularly played cards with a group of ladies and would drop everything to play a card game with her grandchildren whenever they could get one organized.

She was an avid Titan Fan until the end.  She listened on the radio and kept her own statistics for each contest, which she would then double check with the announcers at the end of the game.   She even had her own "Player of the Game" selection for each contest.

Her cookies recipes were quite varied, included several family favorites, which were enjoyed by all.  By far, her most notable cookies were her Christmas Sugar Cookies, with last Christmas' record of 415 cookies in one afternoon, which were enjoyed by many.

She watched her children and grandchildren grow up enjoying the weekend life along the Auglaize River, near Defiance, with pontoon rides and large family meals.  Her great-grandchildren were her favorite people, keeping marshmallows nearby for them and having them hold her little finger.

As "Pop" Giesken's daughter, music was a big part of her life.  She played the piano and enjoyed many genres, including marching bands, dance bands, and even vocals with her favorite group of Tenors, 'El Divo."   She would take solo car rides so she could listen to her music at whatever volume suited the tune.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to The Meadows of Ottawa and Putnam County Homecare and Hospice for their loving care of our Mother,

Memorial contributions may be made to The Meadows of Ottawa or Putnam County Homecare and Hospice.

Funeral mass will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 9, 2020 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Glandorf with Father Tony Fortman officiating.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery.  In keeping with the social distancing guidelines, a visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. until the time of service at the church. Masks are required upon entering the church.  Arrangements are under the direction of LOVE FUNERAL HOME, Ottawa

Online condolences can be expressed at: www.lovefuneralhome.com.

Putnam County Homecare and Hospice
575 OG Road Suite 3, PO Box 312, Ottawa OH 45875
Tel: 1-419-523-4449
Web: http://www.pchh.net

The Meadows of Ottawa for special equipment
147 Putnam Pkwy, Ottawa OH 45875