REV. MARY JEAN BARTHOLOMEW

"passed away on Saturday, February 16, 2013 in Madison, WI. She was born on April 21, 1924 to Frederick and Marion (Wilcox) Bartholomew in Richfield, Minnesota.

In 1945, Mary Jean graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota with majors in sociology and history. She was one of the first women allowed to take courses at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where she received two years of instruction to become a commissioned church worker. In 1980, she became an ordained minister.

Throughout her career, Mary Jean served the church in several capacities. She worked for churches in Steubenville, Ohio and Park Ridge, Illinois. She performed church duties and taught religion part-time in Decatur, Illinois. She taught religion at Linwood College in St. Charles, Missouri. She concluded her career by working for 26 years at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Madison, Wisconsin, first as director of Christian education and finally as an ordained minister. In Madison, she was a past board member of the Madison YWCA, helped coordinate activities for the Madison Area Council of Churches, served the Triangle Community Ministry Board, led the social justice committee for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies (a Presbyterian governing body of 6 Midwestern states), and generously followed legislative issues for the Wisconsin Conference of Churches.

Rev. Bartholomew retired in 1989, after 26 years serving Westminster Presbyterian Church. Christian education and social issues were always very important to her. She also enjoyed spending time at her family's cabin in Minnesota, which her parents built.

Mary Jean is survived by her sister, Marion (Glen) Amundson of Golden Valley, MN; her nieces, Gwen (Dayton) Carlson and Laurie Kienberger; her nephew, James (Lisa Long) Amundson; and one great-niece. She was preceded in death by her parents.

She will be dearly missed by her family and her many friends. Many youth have fond memories of their trips and mission experiences with Mary Jean. All of her church family has admired and learned from Mary Jean's example of calling everyone by name and remembering those names for years and years.

Isaiah 43:1 "Fear not, I have redeemed you: I have summoned you by name: you are mine." John 10:33 "...He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out."

A visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 23, 2013, at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Road, Madison, WI. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, February 25, 2013 at GILL BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 5801 South Lyndale Avenue, Minneapolis, MN. Burial will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery in Minneapolis. A memorial service to honor Mary Jean's life and service to her church will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Madison in April, 2013."

OBITUARY Published in Mpls. Star&Tribune (21 Feb.2013)