Mary C. Deardurff nee Oberfield, 103, passed away peacefully in her Elmhurst home on March 21, 2024.  Mary was the beloved wife of the late Jack Deardurff.  Mary is survived by her children John Deardurff, Robert (Janice) Deardurff, Mary Sutton, James (Rosemary) Deardurff, Richard (Christiana) Deardurff and Christopher (Rosanne) Deardurff; her brother Jack Oberfield; her sisters-in-law Evelyn Oberfield, Anne Oberfield, Rose Ann Oberfield and Dorothy Oberfield.  Mary adored her 28 grandchildren and 50 plus great grandchildren.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents Alfred Oberfield and Agnes Marie Oberfield nee Murphy; her siblings Dick, Bernard, James, Joseph Oberfield, Ruth (late Don) Dittoe, Rita (late Barney) Smith; her granddaughter Cyndi McInnis; her son-in-law James Sutton and her daughter-in-law Paula Deardurff.

Born February 3, 1921, Mary was the eldest of seven and raised in Newark, Ohio.  Her family were parishioners at Blessed Sacrament church where she attended grade school.  Mary often recalled the hardships of the Depression Era when her father had to move them all to "the farm" property to support his family, yet she said she never felt deprived of anything. Mary attended St. Francis de Sales High School where she met the love of her life, Jack Deardurff.  After his service in WWII, they married August 25, 1945.

Mary dedicated her life to her husband and six children.  She lived out her unwavering respect for all life by not only nurturing her own family but by offering love, education and support to women in their pregnancies as a tireless 25-year volunteer of Birthright of Joliet.

Mary was an avid organic gardener long before it was a common household word and she saw the goodness and beauty of all life as a gift from God.  From her bounteous flower beds to the worms that fed her soil she marveled at the wonder and order of all of God's creation.

Mary moved to Elmhurst in 2007 to be closer to children and grandchildren.  She could be seen mowing her own lawn well into her 90's.  In Mary's final years she held her ever-growing family close to her heart and prayed daily that they would know, love and trust Jesus

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 10 a.m. at Visitation Catholic Church, 779 S. York St., Elmhurst.  Her burial will be held at St. Jospeh Catholic Cemetery, Newark, 11 A.M., Thursday, April 4, 2024, with Fr. Mark Ghiloni as celebrant.