Mary Ellen DeCuypere (née Mayer) was born in Corunna, Michigan on January 9th, 1934, to Harry Oscar Mayer and Martha Amelia Mayer (née Swan) and had a brother named Harold “Sonny” Mayer. She got her shy and selfless nature from her father, who she eventually took care of in old age. They were both kind and gentle people with very big hearts.
Though Mary Ellen put everyone before herself, she found joy in the little things. An animal lover, she fed the squirrels and chipmunks in her backyard, and they would take the peanuts from her hand.
Mary Ellen often told a story about the rooster on her farm. During the Depression, when she was a little girl, her mother would give her a piece of toast with sugar and send her out of the house, and every day, a rooster would chase her around and steal her bread. One day, that rooster ended up on the Mayer’s dinner table and Mary Ellen later said that he was the best meal she ever had.
As a teenager, Mary Ellen worked in the general store owned by her parents in Corunna, Michigan. She graduated from Corunna High School and dreamed of getting a job—possibly in a library—and living in a small apartment with a cat.
Mary Ellen fell in love before that could happen. In the summer of 1955, she went on a blind date with Albert David DeCuypere before he left for military service. They exchanged letters and a week after he returned, they were engaged. Their wedding took place on January 29th, 1956, in Corunna, Michigan.
Mary Ellen and Albert had three daughters, and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in the 1970s for Albert’s job at GM. Growing up, her children never saw her cross and she never raised her voice. When Mary Ellen’s father became sick after her children were grown, the couple moved to Mio, Michigan to take care of him until his death.
Mary Ellen’s family loved her turkey and ham dinners, and she spoiled her grandchildren with bingo nights and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Though she was a quiet woman, she had a sharp wit and a laugh that would put a smile on your face. When she saw her first grandchild had very long fingers, she quipped, “She’s either going to be a pianist or a pick-pocket!”
Mary Ellen had a sweet tooth, loved the color green, and took up needlepoint to create art for the walls in her home. Her favorite book was Little Women, and she was a frequent visitor to the library, her favorite genres being true crime and mystery.
Mary Ellen and Albert had a love that doesn’t come along very often. During the last decade together, they often talked about how lucky they were to have had such a wonderful life. The devoted couple continued gifting one another valentines and cards for holidays.
As she cooked, Al would flutter around her and sing, sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at suppertime…before she playfully told him to get out of her kitchen.
They lived in Mio, Michigan for 30 years and treasured everything about their home and the town. Each morning they put out peanuts and corn for the squirrels and blue jays, and they made frequent trips to Turtle Creek Casino. They were married for 63 years before Albert’s death in 2019.
Mary Ellen died at the Grayling Nursing Home and Rehab Community on March 10th, 2022. She was preceded in death by her husband Albert DeCuypere and is survived by Cynthia Harrod, Karen DeCuypere, Amy DeCuypere, Nicolina Torres, Dominique Pickeral, Kristy Murchek, Tyler Byrd, Sean Byrd, and many great-grandchildren.
She will be buried next to Albert in West Haven Cemetery in Shiawassee County, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations are made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the SPCA.
