Mary "Jane" Wight

Mary Jane Sherman was born in Desler, Ohio, and the family, including her five brothers and sisters, moved to Dearborn, Michigan in 1926.  Jane was a twin and her sister Jean both dressed exactly alike, and sometimes switched going out with dates who could not tell them apart.  Jane was the matriarch of the Sherman family.  She was most proud of square-dancing for The Henry Ford in Lovett Hall at Greenfield Village.

She married Arthur Wight in 1939, and they were married for 57 years.  She loved northern Michigan, and she and her husband bought their first summer cottage in 1953.  Jane worked for the Dearborn Board of Education as a school secretary for 25 years, and she had her summers off so she could spend them up North.  They built their lake home in 1967 on Intermediate Lake, which is still in the family.  Art and Jane loved to travel, and they went on five Caribbean cruises, and she was sea sick on every one.  Upon retirement, they bought a condo on Top of the World in Clearwater, Florida, where they spent their winters with many long-time friends from Detroit.  Art and Jane were avid golfers, and they played almost every day, summer and winter.

She was the ultimate hostess, and they entertained lots of friends in both Florida and Michigan.  She often closed Was Wagon night club, and had everyone there at closing, including the band, back to their home where they cooked breakfast and people stayed until dawn.  Jane always had Thanksgiving and Christmas for much of her family, including a fabulous brunch that she made on the 4th of July.  She also did this for 20 people when she was 95 years old!!

As an example of her thoughtfulness, when the grandchildren came over, she always had Pepsi Cola, Coke Cola, Vernor’s Ginger Ale and M&M’s in a metal tin in a drawer for each child.  Jane always supported the Central Lake Masons in remembrance of her husband and the First Congregational Church, as well as the Central Lake Lion’s Club.  She was the Grand Marshal of the Bellaire Senior Center Rubber Ducky Parade in 2015,

Jane saw more unbelievable events in her 96 years than anyone could imagine, such as cell phones, going to the Moon, television, computers and commercial air travel.  In her later years, when she got her walker, every time she came upon other seniors with their walkers, she challenged them to a race.  She also asked everyone she passed by if they could install a motor on her walker, so she could go faster.  Needless to say, when she raced, she always won.  When she was 81 at Tim’s wedding at Mammouth Mountain, California, she cut a rug at 10,000 feet above sea level, and everyone loved it!  She was known as “Sarge” for the way she ran her household on the lake up North.  She loved to play cards with her poker and pinochle clubs, and “scupper your neighbor” with the family, where she often won a dollar or two.

Jane was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Art, and is survived by her two sons, Gary and Bill, five grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be held Saturday, May 26, at 11 a.m. at the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes with Pastor Gary Bekkering officiating.  The family will receive friends Friday, May 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. also at the funeral home.  Interment will take place in Lakeview Cemetery, Eastport.  In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be given to the First Congregational Church, Po Box 326, Central Lake, MI 49622 or the Antrim County Commission on Aging, Po Box 614, Bellaire, MI 49615.

Please sign her online guestbook www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com.