Marian DeWolf Haumersen, 83

CAMBRIDGE - Marian DeWolf Haumersen, 83, passed away Thursday, March 13, 2008 in her home, with family at her bedside.

Mrs. Haumersen was born in Aurora, Ill., March 25, 1924, the daughter of Harry and Alma DeWolf. She had four older brothers: Bert, Cliff, Stewart and Robert.

After graduating East Aurora High School in 1940, she attended North Central College in Naperville, Ill. There, she earned a BA in English, while finding time to serve as senior class president, editor of the newspaper, leader of the strike to permit dancing on campus, and participant in many other activities. It was at North Central where she met Richard Fredric Haumersen to whom she was married for 48 years.

After graduating from college, Mrs. Haumersen was an editor and author of a guide to using the dictionary at Laidlaw Publishers in Chicago. She left that job to become a stewardess for United Airlines; she flew the Denver, Cheyenne, Portland, San Francisco and New York routes.

Mrs. Haumersen devoted most of her life to volunteer work. In Racine, Wis., where she and Mr. Haumersen lived for 15 years, she was a member and Sunday school teacher at First Evangelical United Brethren Church. She was involved in Girl Scouts, the Curative Workshop, the Young Republicans, and a children's theater group. She was very active in The Junior League of Racine and served as president for two terms.

When Mr. and Mrs. Haumersen moved to Cambridge in 1961, she again became an active volunteer. She worked at the Robin Hood Shop every Thursday for over 40 years, served on the board and became president of the Dorchester General Hospital Auxiliary. Mrs. Haumersen served three terms as president of Dorchester General Hospital Board of Directors, the first woman to do so. She was a den mother for the Boy Scouts of America, a member of Zion United Methodist Church, the Dorchester County Historical, the Cambridge Yacht Club, the Dorchester Arts Center, Friends of the Dorchester County library, Friends of Blackwater, AJLA, and Clipped Wings.

Mrs. Haumersen may be remembered as "the lady who walked the dog," as she and her dogs made their daily treks all over Cambridge.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Heslep and her two children, Elizabeth and Benjamin;

her son, Brian Haumersen, his wife Sue, and their children, Andrew, John, Tom and Grace;

and a niece, Debbie DeWolf.

A memorial service will be held at Zion United Methodist Church, 612 Locust St., Cambridge, 2 p.m. Tuesday. The family will greet friends at 1 p.m. at the Zion Church.

The family would like to thank her many friends, her caregivers and the staffs of Dorchester General Hospital, Comfort Keepers, Inc. and Coastal Hospice for their care and concern.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in her memory to the Robin Hood Shop/DGH Auxiliary, 416 High St., Cambridge, MD, 21613 or, Coastal Hospice, P.O. Box 1733, Salisbury, MD 21802.

The Thomas Funeral Home, PA in Cambridge is handling the arrangements. Letters of condolence may be sent to www.thomasfuneralhomepa.com