Mary Jane (Walker) Eitle

Mary Jane Eitle, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister, age 98 of Willard, passed away Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Bennington Glen in Marengo. She was born on February 7, 1927, in Willard, Ohio to the late Jay and Dorothy (Blessing) Walker.

Mary Jane graduated from Greenwich High School in 1945. She was a dedicated bookkeeper and co-owner of Eitle Ford Tractor dealership, Stidham Trailer dealership and Bolens Tractor dealership in Willard. She also worked as a bookkeeper at Cy Reed for Ford in Willard. Mary Jane was a proud member of the Huron County Ladies Mounted Sheriff Posse. She was the bookkeeper and co-owner with her husband of the Lone Pine Ranch horse farm in Willard, where she and Lowell raised paint horses and quarter ponies. Mary Jane was a member of OHPA and the Lazy Aces adult horse saddle club.

Mary Jane loved cooking, her specialties included: pies, cakes, homemade potato salad, vegetable soup, mush, and she made the best spring dandelion greens you've ever had! She made excellent crock and canned dill pickles as well as anything else that was harvested from the garden. Mary Jane loved to work alongside her husband and family in the fields bailing hay, mowing hay, or doing anything that needed done around the farm. She was an excellent singer, enjoyed square dancing with her husband, and playing euchre with her family and friends. In her younger years Mary Jane loved her turquoise 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 XL convertible with a white top and 390 V8 4-barrel carburetor. She kept it spotless!

On June 24, 1945, Mary Jane married the love of her life Lowell L. Eitle, he preceded her in death on February 25, 2016.

Mary is survived by her loving children: LeArta "Lee" Longnecker of Castalia, Gay Graszl (Ron Schmid) of Mount Gilead; six grandchildren: Darrel Longnecker of Castalia, Jason Eitle of Willard, Melissa George of Attica, Angela Eitle of Willard, Terra Layer of Mount Gilead and Mary Meimer of Mount Gilead; numerous great-grandchildren and her siblings Nancy Doyle of Pennsylvania and Edna Swartz of Willard.

In addition to her parents, Mary Jane was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Lowell Eitle, and her loving son Dennis Eitle both of Willard; her son-in-law Mick Longnecker; her sisters: Caroline Dunseth, Ida Biernat, Bertha Foshag, and Martha Weatherbie and her brothers: David Walker and Jay A. Walker.

Those wishing to make a memorial contribution are asked to consider the Alzheimer Association, Attn: Donor Services, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 17, Chicago, IL. 60601.
A private family gathering will take place at a later date.

Gompf Funeral Service of Cardington is honored to have been chosen to assist Mary Jane's family with her final wishes and condolences may be expressed at www.gompffh.com.