Mary Ann Steimle

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Ann Steimle. This beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend died on January 10, 2024 at the age of 89 years old.

Mary Ann Steimle was a woman of remarkable will and heart. Born on August 5 of 1934 to James and Margaret Black, Mary Ann spent nearly her whole life in Dowagiac and Eau Claire, Michigan; she went to high school at Dowagiac Union High School (class of 1952), and returned to the Indian Lake Area after studying music at Stephens College and Western Michigan University. She was married to John Steimle, now deceased for 66 years. She taught kindergarten and 1st grade in the Berrien Springs School District and was a beloved caretaker for her family, including her brother James, her parents and husband.

Mary Ann enjoyed the written word with a fervor that many do not know. She collected and sold antiquarian books under the shop name " Busy Hermit Books" for 30 years. The name was certainly appropriate for her. Mary Ann preferred quiet solitude and reflection through reading and music. She always had a book in tow, and she loved to give people books based on their interests. Their home used bookshelves for walls, organized roughly by subject in each room; music books by the piano, cookbooks in the kitchen, fiction in her bedroom. She also loved to play the piano for her friends and loved ones, with an appreciation for music that continued all her life.

Mary Ann deeply cared for animals as well. She had many animal companions over the years, seeing her dogs and cats as part of her beloved family. She volunteered at animal shelters and saw all animals with great compassion, from the household pet to the smallest scurrying mouse.

Mary Ann Steimle is survived by her two children, Debra Steimle and Jon Steimle. Through Jon and his wife Cynthia Steimle, Mary Ann is also survived by her three grandchildren; Lauren Steimle, Amanda Steimle, and Jacob Steimle. A private family service to honor Mary Ann's memory will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family wishes to honor Mary Ann's love of animals by asking that people make donations to their local animal shelters and humane societies in her name.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Bowerman Funeral Home in Eau Claire.