Eugenia Maurer

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Eugenia Florence Maurer, 98, Owensville, died Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018. 

She was born March 17, 1920, to Florence May (Leonard) Leary and Marvin E. Leary in Buffalo, NY. Because of the early deaths of her parents, Eugenia was raised by her foster mother, Mary E. Hoskins in Macomb, Ill.,

Eugenia graduated from high school in Adair, Ill., and received a Bachelors of Education from Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill., with additional studies at Lincoln University. She also earned a Masters in Speech Therapy from Illinois State University in Bloomington, Ill.

Eugenia was united in marriage to Marshall W. Maurer in 1942 in Cicero, Ill. 

The couple made their home in Chester, Ill. In 1947 Eugenia and Marshall moved to Anderson, Ind., and in 1957 to Drake, Mo., where they both taught in the Owensville and Union school systems. In 1965, the Maurers moved to Muncie, Ind., to teach in the Muncie school system, and in 1967 moved to Bloomington, Ill. In 1972 in western Missouri, Eugenia and Marshall helped establish senior centers in a nine-county region. Eugenia and Marshall then moved to New Haven to teach until their retirements in 1983. The couple devoted many hours of volunteer work to the Hermann Library. Moving again, to Owensville, Eugenia volunteered as a teaching assistant for grade school classes. In 2014 she received special recognition and appreciation from Lincoln University Golden Sons and Daughters, as a distinguished graduate.

Eugenia loved writing poetry and had published, three of her poems.

Eugenia is preceded in death by her husband, Marshall, one sister, two foster sisters, and two brothers.

She is survived by children; Marsha Maurer of Portland, Ore., Michael Maurer of Jefferson City; Niles Maurer of Steelville and Rachel Maurer Kempen of Drake. She is also survived by grandson, Christopher Stygar, and wife Lisa Carvajal and great-granddaughters, Audrey and Julia of Pittsburgh, Penn.

A private family service will be held at the Drake Zoar United Methodist Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Drake United Methodist Church Cemetery fund.

Arrangements entrusted to Gottenstroeter Funeral Home, Owensville.