Mary Hotze Witt’s Life Story
Mary’s full name is Mary Hotze (pronounced Hutsie) Witt. She was born in Teutopolis, Illinois on December 9, 1942, at home with her Grandma Niemeyer assisting her mother. Her parents were: Charles and Grace Niemeyer Hotze, both born in Teutopolis, Illinois. Charlie was born on March 10, 1912, and Grace was born on April 22, 1914. Her parents had a 300 acre farm that included a dairy. Mary’s grandparents were: Clement Hotze and Mary Vormor, born in Teutopolis (Clement Hotze born May 3, 1876, and Mary Vormor born June 22, 1878) and Alexander (Allie) born in Effingham Co. Illinois on March 2, 1893, and Emma Brummer, born in Jasper Co., Illinois, on March 20, 1892.
Mary has 4 brothers and 4 sisters. Jane is a teacher, Ruth worked for the local farm supply equity, Jerry was a farmer, Joe owned a Ford dealership in Salem, Illinois, (Mary is the middle child), Mark worked for a concrete business, Beth was a teacher, Tom was a farmer, and Karla was a teacher. Ruth and Jerry have passed away. The others are all retired.
Mary attended Notre Dame College, (BS in Biology), University of Wisconsin Eau Claire (MS in Biology), and Oregon State University (PhD in Horticulture). She has been an educator at all levels—elementary in Illinois, Japan and Okinawa; high school in Missouri; college at University of Kentucky; and adult Education through her position with U.K. Cooperative Extension Service.
Over the years, her family contributed to their communities in education and health care primarily. Many of her extended family spent their entire careers as teachers, 40-50 years in some cases. Others were nurses, again for 50+ years. Their dedication was admirable in Mary’s mind.
In her early years, Mary lived in many places: Illinois, Missouri, Japan, Okinawa, Wisconsin, Oregon (always apartments as a single woman); and now in Kentucky. On October 13, 1979, Mary married William Woodrow Witt in Teutopolis. With her husband Bill they have owned a home in Lexington KY since 1984.
Mary and Bill have two children. Their daughter Emma Lela Witt was born September 17, 1981, in Lexington, Kentucky. Emma is not married. She teaches at Stockton University in New Jersey. Her significant other is Brion Woroch. John William Witt was born June 1, 1983, in Lexington. He married Casey Lynne Egan, and they have two children: Woodrow James Witt (Woody like his great grandpa), born in 2017, Louisville, Kentucky; and Claire Brianne Witt, born in 2019, Cincinnati, Ohio. Woody and Claire live in Louisville with their parents which is one hour and ten minutes from Witt grandparents!
Mary is grateful for her rural upbringing and close family which gave her a deep trust of others and secure outlook on life. That sense of place and confidence stays with her today. Through the years, Mary has learned that small acts of kindness and a ready smile create satisfying feelings for her and those around her.
In 2017, Mary and Bill received the John J. Roark Distinguished Service Award for their dedication to the Roark-Conner Association. The contributions that Mary is most proud of is meeting and greeting R-CA members at the registration table at each reunion. She said it has been a rewarding opportunity to learn some things about each member. Mary hopes that R-CA members will take time to listen to others’ stories, and not be afraid to share their own. She believes that our differences are as important as our similarities, and learning about the differences enriches our lives and broadens our perspectives. Mary would like her legacy to be that she used her networking skills to bring people together with a deep appreciation of each other. She hopes that will translate to a deep appreciation of diversity.