Mary Kathleen Bartrum

Mary Kathleen (Bilbee) Bartrum came into this world on Sunday, October 17, 1965, and left in the early hours of Monday, May 13, 2024. She was the fourth child of Martha June and Jerry Bilbee. She may have been one of quite a few kids in the family, but Mary was definitely one of a kind and a once in a lifetime friend.

She grew up sharing a room with her little sister Brandy. Although they fought often, as siblings do, they were each other’s first and best friend. While her siblings spent their days riding bikes with their friends or wreaking havoc on the neighborhood, Mary enjoyed lounging around the house with a good book and often times was booted outside to read to at least “get some fresh air” as her daddy worded it. She absolutely loved poetry. If she wasn’t reading it, she was writing her own beautiful pieces.

Mary loved playing bingo, card games, Yahtzee and listening to Shaun Cassidy in her teens. Into her twenties, she discovered her joy in cross-stitch and became quite good at it, making gifts for her family and friends. She met Neal Bartrum and the two of them were married in 1988 and were blessed with a beautiful baby boy on February 18, 1989, who they named Zackary and he was the light of his mama’s world.

Unfortunately, sometimes life just isn’t fair, and Mary was diagnosed with MS in her thirties. She maintained a positive attitude with it and kept her sense of humor as bit by bit was taken from her. She would joke and as she put it “you either laugh or cry”. She slowly lost bits of herself, things like her ability to cross-stitch and write her poetry. She quickly became bedridden, but that never stopped her humor. Mary could take any situation and make it better, just by being herself. We could share stories for days on the things she came up with.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Martha June Riddle and Jerry Lee Bilbee, her friend of many years, Michael Hiatt, her niece, Sharice Bilbee and her sweet angel baby that was taken too soon, before ever knowing her loving embrace. Mary will leave behind an amazing legacy, as she is survived by her loving son, Zackary (Jessica Hayworth) Bartrum; grandchildren, Tyler, Cash, Bray’Lee, Matthew, Brooklynn and Bentley; her second mom, Bobbi Bilbee; her sisters Jeri (Ross) Alcorn and Brandy (Stewart) Bilbee; brothers Floyd (Rozanne) Bilbee, Troy (Sherry) Bilbee and John Riddle; thirteen nieces and nephews; twenty-six great nieces and nephews and one great-great niece.

Mary truly loved her family and we will mourn her loss. We will also celebrate as we know she is now pain free. Mary can move and walk; she can read again and do her cross-stitch. We all know she is with her parents and she has finally gotten a chance to meet the baby she lost too soon. Mary would do anything she could do to make others smile and I know she is smiling down now on her family. Goodbye, lovely Mary Kathleen. We will see you again and I know your entire family will leap for joy when we meet you up there and we watch you walk to us with that beautiful smile of yours.

Arrangements for Mary have been entrusted to the College Park Chapel of Armes-Hunt Life Celebration Funeral Home and Cremation Services. A visitation will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Brinker Heights Wesleyan Church, 1203 East Bradford Street, Marion, Indiana 46952. A funeral service will follow at 1:00 p.m. with Steve Armes officiating. Burial will take place at Grant Memorial Park in Marion. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Colonial Oaks Health & Rehabilitation Center Activities Department, 4725 South Colonial Oaks Drive, Marion, Indiana 46953.