Mary J. Thunhorst, 100, of Litchfield died at Heritage Health of Litchfield on Sunday, April 26, 2015.
A memorial service is planned at a later time. Kravanya Funeral Home in Gillespie is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Thunhorst was born on Dec. 17, 1914, in Benld, the daughter of the late Marko and Anna (Petrunich) Arlesic. She married Byron Thunhorst, and he preceded her in death.
She quietly went about her many Christian duties over the years. She was the Holy Family sacristan, she opened and closed the church, watered the flowers and laundered the “altar towels.” She was a Eucharist minister at Holy Family and at the hospital chapel.
Mrs. Thunhorst worked at Breaking Bread, where she baked her famous cupcakes piled high with frosting, and worked at many funeral dinners. She volunteered for the Spring Fling and Party in the Park and fundraisers for the church. She worked at the food pantry, Meals on Wheels and had been a top fundraiser for the walk for the Crisis Pregnancy Center.
She would visit members of the parish that were homebound or in the nursing home, where she would pray the rosary with them and bring them Holy Communion. She held a scripture class in her home every Wednesday morning and lived a life of simplicity and prayer.
Mrs. Thunhorst is survived by her grandchildren, Gwendolyn (husband Kevin) Davis and Deborah (husband Shawn) Wright; great-grandchildren, Sydney and Henry Davis and Steele Wright; siblings, Rose Heck and Helen Lang; and many loving nieces and nephews.
Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her son, Joseph Thunhorst; and siblings, Michael Arlesic, Joseph Arlesic, Eva Brown and Ann Miller.
