The Family of Mary Federlein

Mary Federlein was born in 1912, died in 2011, and is still sorely missed by those who knew her and loved her. She was our “Mere”.
She was married briefly but widowed in her twenties, left to raise a toddler. She spent most of her life as a single woman breaking barriers in her personal struggle to survive as a single parent at a time when many opportunities and doors were closed to women. She was not a “feminist” and would have denied it, but she was the quintessential advocate in providing a better life for her family.

She along with her mother, an immigrant, owned a business and purchased a home as self-employed single women. She also obtained employment in a large company in spite of being a single mother. Today we take these things for granted, but in her time these were major accomplishments for women on their own.

Mary left a well paying and secure job to tend to the family business and her mother, as her mother lay dying. She spent the remainder of her life working various jobs, finding her career job at age 62. She remained at that job until age 90 when she decided the stairs to her office were too hard to climb. She remained sharp until the end and remained faithful to her family and her beloved Detroit Tigers.

More personally she provided me, her granddaughter, a place to live, transportation to complete my education, and the emotional support I needed to find my way, identify a career path, and complete my education in pursuit of that path.
I hope she inspires others as she inspired me. Sometimes the path is fraught with uncertainty, conflict, and financial struggle. Hers was too. She made it, I made it, and I hope this scholarship helps others to make it too.