Mary Ann Birk

Mary Ann Birk, 78, of Jackson, passed away Thursday, December 28, 2017, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau.

She was born November 27, 1939, in Cape Girardeau, to William Henry Edward and Helen Clara Wendel Hennecke. She was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Gordonville, Missouri, which was also the church where she and Orville Otto Birk were married on July 6, 1958. Their marriage was blessed with two children, and they had been married 54 years when Orville passed away September 23, 2012.

Mary Ann attended the former Needmore Grade School near Gordonville, and was a 1958 graduate of Jackson High School.

She worked for Jackson R-2 Schools, Coca-Cola, Schott Accounting, the former Brennecke Chevrolet, Coad Chevrolet, and worked many years as a Mary-Kay consultant. She and Orville were lifelong farmers and owned and operated a Missouri Century Farm, raising both registered hereford and registered angus cattle.

Mary Ann was a member of Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville. She previously attended Immanuel Lutheran Church in Tilsit. She taught Sunday School, held various offices in the church, and enjoyed serving in many capacities, especially the Lutheran Women's Missionary League and Lutheran Family & Children's Services. Her other affiliations include: University of Missouri Extension Council, 4-H leader, Farm Bureau, working at election polls, and she was awarded the Jackson Rotarian Servant of the Year.

Survivors include two children, Bonnie (Terry) Pohlman of Oak Ridge and Steven (Patsy) Birk of Gordonville; a brother, Edward Hennecke of Gordonville; five grandchildren Amy (Adam) Thomas of Jackson, Ryan (Lindsey) Pohlman of Oak Ridge, Logan (Garret) Light of Jackson, Paige Birk of Columbia, and Cody Abernathy of Marble Hill; eight great-grandchildren Lane, Austin, Wyatt, Ava, Ella, Linkin, Brylee, and Carsen; two brothers-in-law, Glen (Alice) Birk of Jackson, Donald (Linda) Birk of Eldorado Springs, Missouri; two sisters-in-law Vera (the late Loyd) Birk and Alice (Charles) Ahrens, both of Jackson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.

Visitation is Friday, December 29, 2017, from 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, December 30, 2017, from 9 a.m. to service time, at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral is Saturday, December 30, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jacob May officiating. Burial will follow at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to Christ Lutheran Church in Gordonville.

Please Note: There have been some recent changes to our website to leave a condolence, so please make sure that after your condolence is entered that you tab down to enter number sum total in the box directly below the condolence message box. This is a safety feature. Tab once and it will take you to this field. Once you have added the sum and entered the sum in the box provided, then tab again to go to the submit tab. Click on submit for your condolence to be sent.