Thanks, Mary!

Mary Bartholomaus celebrating her big 90 with the Friends board in September, 2023.

Chances are you’re a Friends member because of her. Her passion and enthusiasm for books, reading, and libraries was infectious. If she was behind the Friends membership table on a sunny summer morning, you were never getting away without signing up.

Mary Bartholomaus was the tiniest powerhouse and most ardent supporter of Friends of the Edgewater Library and the Edgewater Branch Library. At 91, she checked out of this spinning earth on November 10, 2024, leaving a legacy of love for everyone she touched.

Mary was one of the original Friends members and our star membership recruiter for many years. Board members may recall that we celebrated Mary’s 90th birthday and her years of service to Friends and the Edgewater Library on our September 9, 2023, board call. Here’s a glimpse of some of her many years of service.

Mary (right) recruiting new members for Friends in the summer of 2017 with Jaime D. (center) and Renee R. (left).

• Mary was among the group who initially formed Friends in 1989 (incorporated as a non-profit on May 6, 1990).

• She helped to form the Tuesday Book Club in 2004 with Librarian Terry Hogan. She led it until 2011, when Barbara Goodman took over and continues to lead it; Mary remained a member.  Even during the pandemic,  when the library was closed, a small group of the book club met at Edgewater Presbyterian. As most of you know, Mary was an avid reader and loved books, the library, and Friends! This is now the Monday Book Club.

• Mary truly was our “cheerleader” for bringing in new FOEL members — a point she was very proud of. No matter where she was, she never hesitated to talk about Friends. While I don’t think we have an exact number of how many members she recruited, everyone knew Mary. In the seven years since I’ve been involved with Friends, I can’t tell you how many times someone said to me, “Mary signed me up!” or “Mary talked so much about Friends that I had to see for myself!” I’m sure all of you have similar Mary stories.

• No matter what was going on with Mary, rain or shine, she worked hard to show up for meetings, the book sale, and all her volunteer duties. I remember when she broke her hip a few years ago (pre-Zoom days) — as soon as she could walk again, she was back at meetings and volunteering for whatever was needed. 

There’s Mary in the center, surrounded by Friends members, many of whom she recruited. This was one of the last meetings Mary attended in person, June 25, 2022.

To me and many others, Mary embodied the spirit of what it means to say, “We are Friends of the Edgewater Library.”

Thanks, Mary, for giving us so much of you.

- Article by Joanna Broussard, Friends President

Friends Remember Mary

What a wonderful human being she was.  May we all share some of the joy, service, and commitment she leaves behind.  – Tom Welch, Community Relations Committee

When I was asked to launch our Membership Committee in 2019, Mary was the first Friend to volunteer to serve on it. Of course, Mary didn’t need a committee – she was a natural "member magnet.” There’s no doubt that Mary recruited the most Friends over the years, contributing to our growth. I will miss her warm smile and kind words. – Cindy Clark, Membership Committee 

Mary was a good friend.  We lived in the same condo building and most of the time walked to the Friends’ meetings together. We chatted about different ideas we might have to contribute to the group: ideas about the fundraiser and the book sale, for example. Mary had a great laugh and a twinkle in her eye as she passed on some ideas. One day, she and I sat at a table outside the front of the Library, where we shared information with interested people about the Library and how their membership would help. Mary is and will be missed as a friend and member of Friends. - Theresan Kaefer, Friends Member

Here’s Mary (far right) with Friends members Lindsay, Michael, and Jaime at Lickity Split.

Thanks to Mary, we felt welcome into the community. Because of her, my husband Luis and I are Friends of the Library, and I still participate in the book club she started. On a more personal note, we were “buddies walkers.” She loved Patio Beef, and we went several times. She also enjoyed the cinnamon rolls from Ann Sather, where we stopped occasionally. I visited her every week since she was housebound, and we talked about politics, books, and family -- and she always had a smile and a joke to make me laugh. I miss her and the dose of happiness she gave me every week. Rest in peace, my dear friend. - Marisa Gast, Friends Program Committee Member

If you have a story or remembrance about Mary, please feel free to leave it in the comments below.

All photos by Friends members.