Mary Margaret (Bumann) Miller

Mary Margaret (Bumann) Miller, 82, of Tiffin, died at 5:50 p.m. Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, at Tiffin Elmwood at the Shawhan.  She was born Oct. 21, 1938, in Mandan, North Dakota to Peter H. and Bertha (Heid) Bumann.
She married Lewis E. Miller, Aug. 14, 1960, at Peace United Church of Christ in New Salem, North Dakota.

She is survived by her husband , two daughters, Gretchen (Ken) Johnson of Cincinnati and Sarah Miller of Cleveland, two grandchildren, Spencer Johnson and Erika Johnson of Cincinnati, a special family friend Cate Crouch and a sister-in-law, Mildred “Millie” O’Brien, of Tucson, Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her parents, she also leaves many wonderful and loving caregivers at Elmwood at the Shawhan after ten years of their faithful service.

Mary graduated as co-valedictorian from New Salem High School in 1956.  She earned her bachelor of music degree from Heidelberg University in 1960, her master’s degree from Bowling Green State University in 1978, a second master’s degree in counseling from Heidelberg University in 1995 and earned her LPCC (Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor) certificate from the State of Ohio.

She taught music in the Berlin Heights School, Berlin Heights, OH in 1960. Starting in 1961 she taught music in the Tiffin City Schools for twenty-nine years. During her tenure in Tiffin, she taught general music and choirs at East Junior High and music at Clinton and Washington Elementary Schools. She also led the choirs at Tiffin Columbian High School in the 1960s.  She started the Columbian Choristers show choir and later the East Junior High show choir on East Market Street.  In 1990 Mary taught ESL at the American Universities League in Shin-Yokohama, Japan for one year.  After receiving her LPCC certification, she worked at the Findlay Hutson Center and then Century Health.  In 2001, she opened Fostoria Counseling Services and also ran the Insight Program for area judges and courts for six years.

Mary was always involved in church music singing in the Tiffin Trinity UCC Chancel Choir and later the Chancel Choir of the Findlay First Presbyterian Church while she lived in Findlay for twenty years. She served as an elder of the church session while in Findlay. She often directed church choirs including an ecumenical youth choir at Trinity in the 1970s.

Mary had many interests including gourmet cooking, reading, knitting, vocal music, dancing, gardening, and travel.  She and her husband traveled to all fifty states and 26 countries on four continents.  In 1990, Mary sang with the Tokyo Symphony Chorus rendition of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony while living in Japan. She belonged to OMEA, MENC, OEA, TEA, ACA, OCA, and the Tiffin Women’s Penthouse Club. In 2010, Heidelberg University awarded Mary the Alumni Service Award.

There will be no memorial service at the present time due to the coronavirus pandemic.  If anyone wishes to make a memorial in Mary’s name suggestions are to Trinity United Church of Christ Organ Fund at 131 E. Perry St., Tiffin, OH 44883, the Heidelberg University Music Department at 310 E. Market St. Tiffin, OH 44883, or a charity of the donor’s choice.  A private burial service will be at a later date.  Traunero Funeral Home and Crematory, 214 S. Monroe St. Tiffin, Ohio 44883 (419) 447-3113 has been entrusted with the arrangements.

To offer condolences to the family, go to: www.traunerofuneralhome.com