Mary Alice Bloomer

Celebration of Life: October 12, 2022, 6:30 P.M., Hillsdale United Methodist Church, 27068 Kimberling Avenue, Glenwood, Iowa.

Mary Alice Bloomer peacefully passed away on September 28, 2022 at the age of 92 years and 5 months in Glenwood, Iowa at the Glen Haven Village.

Mary had been living here in Glenwood for the past 16 months near nieces and nephews, after having spent her entire adult life in Denver, Colorado.

Mary was born in Smith Center, Kansas on April 18, 1930 in the midst of the Dust Bowl and the great Depression.  She was the 4th child born to Joseph Bevington and Vera Violet (Rorabaugh) Bloomer.  Older siblings included F. E. “Mike” Bloomer, Avis (Bloomer) Gillaspie and  Rose (Bloomer) Critchfield.  All have preceded her in death, along with sister in law, Margaret Helen Bloomer, brother-in-law, Carroll Gillaspie, niece Jana Gillaspie, great nephews, Mike and Jonathan Bloomer and Kaleb J. Peverill.

It is known that Mary had polio as a child (although few details are known about the specifics).

She shared with her niece and husband, Lu and Todd Peverill, that life as a child was difficult, as she wore a brace, had trouble walking, fell down often and wore glasses.  Her older sister, Rosie (by only 15 months) served as her protector.

At the age of 14, Mary and her sister Rosie moved from their family farm into the town of Smith Center, so they could attend high school as the farm was 10 miles away.  Mary told the story of not even going home on weekends, but worked in the home where they were staying to pay for their room and board.  They went back home on school breaks and summer vacations.  

Mary graduated from high school in 1947.  Her senior yearbook stated “Another good worker and prominent senior girl, Mary Alice Bloomer’s ability as a good leader kept her in work all year.  Her pet phase of Journalism is ‘headline writing’.”  Her “senior record” indicated she was in the college preparatory courses and was involved in activities such as Y-Teens, FHA, Glee Club, Orchestra, Booster Club, National Honor Society, Yearbook and Newspaper, American Legion Award , Quill and Scroll, and D.A.R.  She served in leadership positions in many of these organizations.  

She said she attended a meeting at her high school about going to a Business school and that became her life path.  Her parents took her to Denver where again she stayed in a home with a “wealthy” family and worked for room and board while she attended her classes.  She said that she always worked hard to be the best in her class. A family history book stated that she studied music and became a talented singer.  She often entertained family members at family reunions.

Mary was very proud of the fact that she worked for 60 years. Early in her work career she worked for various companies in retail but spent approximately her last 30 years working for the Officescapes Company of Denver as an Administrative Assistant.  She retired at the age of 79, retiring in April of 2009. 

She still knew how to write in the nearly lost art of “shorthand” and just last year wrote a note to Todd Peverill in shorthand and then “translated” the meaning of her writings.  She also had beautiful cursive handwriting with many loops and tails to her writing.

She was active in organizations that promoted professional women.  Mr. Perry, CEO of Officescapes recently shared that Mary and her sister Avis traveled to Hawaii and New York City for National Conventions. He also shared that he remembered very few times that Mary was ever sick and didn’t come to work.  

Music and faith were always important to Mary.  Pictures from the past indicate that she was involved with large choirs and performed solos at Trinity Methodist Church in Denver.

Upon her moving to Iowa, a friend called and prayed and sang with her on the phone to share the Lord’s blessings as she began a different phase of her beautiful life.

While here in Iowa, she was able to share in the lives and joy of her niece, Lu Bloomer-Peverill and husband Todd and became a “voting member” of the Board of Directors of the Hillsdale Lily Garden.  She loved her title.  It made her smile and laugh.  She shared her years of business experience with Todd and Lu, giving marketing and promotional advice for their Garden. 

She had the opportunity to get to know and experience the love and hugs of her great nephews, Collin Peverill and  Diamond and Kelsey and Amanda Peverill along with great-great nephews, Owen and Henry of Glenwood, Mason from Loveland, Colorado and Great-great niece Bailey of Loveland. They all loved Aunt Mary.  She always had a “treat”-usually some kind of chocolate candy, ready to give to the “little ones.”

Kelsey and wife Amanda Peverill, moved to the Denver area in 2007 to begin professional careers and this is what brought Lu and her family all closer to Aunt Mary in the last 15 years. 

Mary is survived by niece Lu Bloomer-Peverill, and husband Todd of Glenwood, Iowa, nephew Ernie A. Bloomer and wife Sherry of Glenwood, Cary Gillaspie of Colorado and Marla Gillaspie of Louisiana along with 8 great nieces and nephews, and several great-great nieces and nephews.