Mary Martha (Eggers) Tinsman, 83
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mary Martha (Eggers) Tinsman, 83, passed away on March 22, 2010 at her home surrounded by members of her family at her side.
Mary was born the 20th day of March 1927 in Cumberland County, IL to Chester & Bertha (Watts) Eggers. She lived her youth and went to school in the Toledo and Neoga area.
Mary met her husband of 64 plus years, Max L. Tinsman Sr., and they were married on October 20, 1945. They lived in the Toledo area and their two sons Max L. Tinsman Jr. and Randy L. Tinsman were born. Mary and Max relocated to Joliet, IL area where she began a career in nursing at the St. Joseph's Hospital and their daughter Debra Ann Tinsman was born. Upon her family relocating to Chester, IL she furthered her education while working at the Chester Memorial Hospital attaining a licensed practical nurses degree. Mary then attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL graduating a registered nurse. Again she went on to further her nursing degree by attending school at Barnes Hospital St. Louis, MO, specializing in emergency room trauma and intensive care. Mary was a natural in this as she always had the patient at ease and their health and best interest at heart. Mary and Max retired in 1985 and began to travel, spending their winter in the Rio Grande Valley (Mission TX), where they met missionaries Seth and Pat Duffy who run the ABC Ministries doing missionary work in Mexico and for over 20 plus years helped them, developing a life-long friendship. Pat Duffy became known as Mary's "sister in the South" and Pat and Seth's family adopted Mary and Max as part of their own family.
Mary's favorite pasttimes were her family, knitting, reading, dominoes, traveling, her faith and church. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the fall of 2008 and succumbed to the same disease that claimed her father.
Mary is survived by her loving husband Max L. Tinsman Sr.; sons Max L. (Donna) Tinsman of Chester, IL and Randy L. (Bessie) Tinsman of Fairmount, IL; daughter Debra Ann (Fred) Hammel of Percy, IL; thirteen grandchildren: Corey (Ashley) Tinsman, Lori Rhea Reese, Lisa Rena (Michael) Abernathy, Nicole (Lee) Estel, Ronald (Melissa)Tinsman, Heather (Jason) Ogle, Deanna (Nathan) Reitz, Charles L. ( Amanda) Tinsman, Todd (Nicole) Shaw, Kari M. Shaw, Douglas (Kathy) Hammel, Sherry (Rodger) Blacklock, and Dawn (Joe) Brandon; 27 great-grandchildren; and 4 great great-grandchildren. Also surviving are eight sisters Dolorse (Gene) Shoot of Toledo, Carolyn Newlin of Greenup, Gloria (Jim) Pugh of Mattoon, Loretta (Phil) Lincoln of Pigeon Forge, TN, Linda (Leroy) Henderson of Mattoon, Alice (George) Titus of Mattoon, Melissa (Robert) Pugh of Mattoon, and Patti (Eric) Fromhery of Mattoon; eight brothers Lee Kent (Myrtle) Eggers of Sneads Ferry, NC, Ronald (Gail) Eggers of Merritt Island, FL, Francis (Mildred) Eggers of Mattoon, Sidney (Joy) Eggers of Chamberburg, PA, Earl (Tracey) Eggers of Brenham, TX, David Eggers of Lerna, Phillip (Robin) Eggers of Jacksonville, FL, Delbert (Jennifer) Eggers of Mattoon and numerous nieces and nephews. Mary was preceded in death by both parents, sisters Dorothy (Eggers-Lyons) Redden, Judy Eggers Ewing, and brothers John Max Eggers, Donald Rex Eggers and Jim Eggers.
Visitation will be on March 24, 2010 at the Open Door Baptist Church located on IL Rt. 121, Toledo, IL from 5:00 p.m. till 8:00 p.m. Visitation on March 25, 2010 will be from 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. with funeral services being held following visitation, then graveside services and internment at the Toledo Cemetery.
Barkley Funeral Chapel in Toledo is assisting the family.
Memorials may be made to the Open Door Baptist Church in Toledo, IL.