Mary Struewing, mother of Fran DeWine, dies at 95

Mary Elizabeth Struewing, mother of Ohio first lady Fran DeWine, died Thursday at age 95.

Struewing was a native to Greene County, and was born in 1926 in Xenia Twp. before her family moved to Beavercreek, according to her obituary,

She lived and worked in Ohio for most of her life, briefly moving to Kentucky and New Jersey during World War II before moving to Yellow Springs, the obituary said. There, she and her husband partnered to build custom homes.

Gov. Mike DeWine released a statement, saying that Struewing was “the perfect mother-in-law,” and that he had known her his entire life.

“My mother recalled holding me in church when I was a baby, sitting behind Mary who was holding baby Frances over her shoulder,” he said.

DeWine said his mother-in-law, a mother of six, grandmother of 25 and great-grandmother of 51, was a lover of flowers, made many of her own clothes, and was “always the sharpest dresser in the room.”

“I am lucky I married her daughter, lucky I became part of her amazing family, and blessed to have her as my mother-in-law,” he said.

A visitation is from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday at Neeld Funeral Home, 1276 N. Detroit St., Xenia, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Paul Catholic Church, 308 Philips St., Yellow Springs.

The family suggests donations in her name to the Becky DeWine School, Hands Together, P.O. Box 80985, Springfield, MA 01138; Friends Care Community, 150 E. Herman St., Yellow Springs, OH 45387, or Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420.

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