Obituary for Mary Ann Short
Mary Ann Merrill Tanner McKinney Short, was born in Columbus, Ohio on June 3, 1930. She went home to be with the Lord on August 8, 2019, at the age of 89. She was educated in the Columbus Public School System and attended West High School.
She was united in marriage to Whitcomb Tanner on December 23, 1946 and to this union were born eleven children, nine of whom survived (two died in infancy).
She was a devoted mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend who enjoyed reading, working with ceramics and stained glass, and until ill health slowed her down, was involved in the Foster Grandparents program, the Elks, Eastern Stars, Daughters of Isis, and various other organizations and activities for which she received numerous acknowledgements and awards.
While raising nine children, she was employed for several years as a cashier at Rosati’s Supermarket at Nelson Road and Long Street before joining Columbia Gas as a keypunch operator. Once her children were grown, she decided to indulge her sense of adventure by moving to Leesburg Florida. During this time of her life she had the opportunity to experience various types of employment. She worked as a healthcare aide in nursing homes. She worked as a production worker in a factory, in the orange groves, and in the fields picking corn and other vegetables.
After ten years in Florida, she moved to Sacramento, California to provide home health care for a friend and her mother. While there she was an active participant in the Foster Grandparent program of the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services where she worked in the school system tutoring and mentoring children.
She was active in the Eastern Stars, successfully attaining the rank of Grand Matron and Past Grand Matron. She was also a member of the Military Guard of the I.B.P.O.E. (Elks), attaining the rank of Captain.
After her “adventures in paradise”, she returned home to Columbus, where she joined the God’s House of Prayer church family. She remained an active and supportive member until she was no longer able to participate due to illnesses.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Mildred Merrill, former husband Whitcomb Tanner, sister Norma J. Simpson, sons James K. Tanner and Darryl E. Tanner and daughter Rhonda R. Tanner.
She is survived by children Marsha L. Witherspoon (William), Corrine E. Tanner, Stephanie D. Tanner, Karen S. Cooper (Gregory), Robert G. Tanner, Jerri L. Cunningham, Dennis F. Tanner (Kay), and Patricia A. Tanner. She is also survived by 50+ grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, special friend Mary Warren, and numerous other relatives and friends.
She was united in marriage to Whitcomb Tanner on December 23, 1946 and to this union were born eleven children, nine of whom survived (two died in infancy).
She was a devoted mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend who enjoyed reading, working with ceramics and stained glass, and until ill health slowed her down, was involved in the Foster Grandparents program, the Elks, Eastern Stars, Daughters of Isis, and various other organizations and activities for which she received numerous acknowledgements and awards.
While raising nine children, she was employed for several years as a cashier at Rosati’s Supermarket at Nelson Road and Long Street before joining Columbia Gas as a keypunch operator. Once her children were grown, she decided to indulge her sense of adventure by moving to Leesburg Florida. During this time of her life she had the opportunity to experience various types of employment. She worked as a healthcare aide in nursing homes. She worked as a production worker in a factory, in the orange groves, and in the fields picking corn and other vegetables.
After ten years in Florida, she moved to Sacramento, California to provide home health care for a friend and her mother. While there she was an active participant in the Foster Grandparent program of the Sacramento County Department of Child, Family and Adult Services where she worked in the school system tutoring and mentoring children.
She was active in the Eastern Stars, successfully attaining the rank of Grand Matron and Past Grand Matron. She was also a member of the Military Guard of the I.B.P.O.E. (Elks), attaining the rank of Captain.
After her “adventures in paradise”, she returned home to Columbus, where she joined the God’s House of Prayer church family. She remained an active and supportive member until she was no longer able to participate due to illnesses.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Kenneth and Mildred Merrill, former husband Whitcomb Tanner, sister Norma J. Simpson, sons James K. Tanner and Darryl E. Tanner and daughter Rhonda R. Tanner.
She is survived by children Marsha L. Witherspoon (William), Corrine E. Tanner, Stephanie D. Tanner, Karen S. Cooper (Gregory), Robert G. Tanner, Jerri L. Cunningham, Dennis F. Tanner (Kay), and Patricia A. Tanner. She is also survived by 50+ grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, special friend Mary Warren, and numerous other relatives and friends.