Obituary

Ada Mae Haury

1919 - 2014 | Obituary 

Ada Mae Haury, professor emeritus, Bethel College, died on Jan. 13, 2014, at the Newton Presbyterian Manor.

She was born on March 1, 1919, in Halstead, to Walter and Marie Gressinger, and graduated from Halstead High School as the valedictorian of her class. She graduated from Bethel College, where she was a member of the Golden A.

During and just following World War II, she taught English, drama and forensics and coached state championship debate teams at Fowler, Halstead and Russell.

Ada Mae married Robert A. Haury in 1947, and they moved to Topeka, where she became assistant to the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church. Then they moved to Newton, where Robert founded an accounting firm which later became Haury, Boston and Steely.

Ada Mae was a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church and was active in Sunday school teaching, scouting and Cruisers. She was a member of Pi Kappa Delta, Ladies Reading Circle and Harvey County Retired School Personnel. Ada Mae taught speech and coached debate and forensics at Bethel College for nearly two decades.

She is survived by her two sons and their families, David and Rose of Harrisburg, Pa., and their daughter, Emily of Overland Park, and John and Carolyn and their children, Ruth of Dearborn, Mich., and Aaron of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Her husband, Robert, and a grandson, Ben, preceded her in death.

Memorial gifts may be given to Bethel College, the First Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Manor.

A memorial service will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Visitation and viewing will be at Petersen's Funeral Home from 5 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A private family interment will be held in Greenwood Cemetery, Newton.

Published in The Kansan from Jan. 18 to Jan. 21, 2014