Mary Elizabeth Wildman Klutzke, age 92 of rural Wingate, passed away in her home on Sunday, February 13, 2022 following a period of failing health.  She was born Mary Elizabeth Wildman to Fenton and Pauline (Greve) Wildman at their home in Newtown, October 1, 1929.  She married Robert Benjamin Klutzke at St. Bonifice Catholic Church in Lafayette on May 8, 1948.  They were married 71 years.

Mary was the middle child of 11.  She grew up in Fountain County on a farm between Mellott and Newtown, and attended Richland Township High School until her senior year when her family moved to Greenhill.  She graduated from Otterbein High School and she met her future husband who had attended rival school Montmorenci.  After graduating in 1947 she worked at the Purdue Dairy Barn for a couple of years. Bob and Mary helped his dad work the family farm south of Lafayette in Tippecanoe County, then moved to a farm near Romney for a couple of years.  In 1962 they purchased and moved to their own farm outside of Wingate in Fountain County.

Mary loved to read.  She enjoyed crafts and liked to sew, crochet, and cross-stitch.  She had a kiln for ceramics and made her children and grandchildren nativity sets and ornaments for Christmas gifts.  She encouraged 4-H work during the summer months.  All of her children were 4-H members.  She was a 4-H leader and on the 4-H Council plus she taught club members sewing and cooking. She was a long-time member of the Domesticated Debs / Domesticated Engineers Home Economics Club, and served as Fountain County Home Ec President.  She won the Fountain County Jane Award in 1978, and received the 1981-82 Farm Wife of the Year Certificate from the Fountain County Farm Bureau.

Bob and Mary were some of the first members of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Lafayette, and that is where Mary started teaching children religious education classes.  She also taught at St, Francis Xavier in Attica and St, Bernard's in Crawfordsville.

When her children started leaving home, Mary returned to work at Purdue, this time as a secretary in the School of Nursing.  She was also a secretary at St. Bernard's and at Ben Hur Nursing Home.  After retiring, Bob and Mary enjoyed taking group trips and visiting their children in other states.  Their first trip was to New Zealand to visit an International 4-H Youth Exchange young farmer who had stayed with them for 3 weeks in September 1974.  Mary enjoyed hosting family reunions on the farm each summer.  Family was very important to her.

Mary is survived by her 7 children: Ken (Rosann) Klutzke of Roseville, MN, Christine Setze of Muncie, Jerry (Mary) Klutzke of Wichita, KS, Barbara Meihls of Lafayette, Larry (Jane) Klutzke of Carmel, Dennis (Robin) Klutzke of Greenwood, and Carl (Karen) Klutzke of Carmel.  18 grandchildren (although she considered their spouses her grandchildren too): Doug (Cari) Klutzke, Kevin Klutzke, Monica (Colin) Degnan, Brenda (John) Roesler, Jenny Jones, Mike (Tracey) Setze, Anne Marie (Jon) Maugans, Sabrina (Stephen) Thomas, Matthew (Stacy) Hilton Klutzke, Aron (Sha) Meihls, Chad Meihls, Alex (Robert) Richey, Ben Klutzke, Jessicah Powers, Josh (Kirstie) Klutzke, Jennah (Steve) Mosley, Brandon Klutzke, and Morgan Klutzke.  22 great grandchildren:  Brayden Klutzke, Nicholas Klutzke, Connor Degnan, Nathan Degnan, Tyler Degnan, Olivia Roesler, Zacariah Roesler, Elinor Roesler, Jackie Jones, Billy Jones, Allison Maugans, Jacob Maugans, Mary Jo Thomas, Lucy Thomas, Stephen Thomas, Katerina Hilton Klutzke, Hunter Meihls, Hayvn Meihls, Madison Meihls, Jonathan Meihls, Louis Mosely, and Malcolm Mosley.  She is also survived by one sister, Catherine Hampton of Crawfordsville, plus sister-in-laws Sue Wildman and Evelyn Hanover, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert, her siblings:  Marge West, Ralph Wildman, Viola Talbott Weigle, James Wildman, Rena Wildman (at age 5), Charles Wildman, William Wildman, Ethel Holland, and Thomas Philo Wildman, plus son-in-laws Peter Setze and Donald Meihls.

Visitation hours are 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Friday, February 25, 2022 and funeral services are 1:00 PM Saturday, February 26, 2022 at Family and Friends Funeral Home of Wingate.  The Rosary will be recited at 7:30 PM on Friday.  Father Michael Bower from St Bernard Catholic Church Crawfordsville will officiate the funeral.  Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, Wingate.  Memorial contributions may be directed to Fountain County 4-H Council, 301 Fourth Street, Covington, IN 47932 or Riley Children's Foundation, PO Box 3356, Indianapolis, IN 46206.  To sign the guest book or leave a condolence, visit www.familyandfriendsfh.com .