Mary Louise Dahlinghaus

Mary Louise Dahlinghaus, age 94, of Cranberry Prairie, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at her home. She was born June 25, 1931, in St. Patrick, Ohio to the late Edward J. & Margaret (Schaefer) Pleiman. On September 2, 1950, she married Norbert Dahlinghaus. Mary and Norb were married for 44 years until his passing on February 26, 1995.

Mary is survived by eight children and their spouses, Dennis & Betty Dahlinghaus of Minster, Mary Jo Buschur of Coldwater, Carol (Fortkamp) Dahlinghaus of Cranberry Prairie, Robert & Patsy Dahlinghaus of Boston, MA, Carol & Greg Dennings of New Bremen, John & Ruthy Dahlinghaus of Greensboro, NC, Sharon Wint of Tipp City, David & Denise Dahlinghaus of Russia, and Dale & Angie Dahlinghaus of Minster; 20 grandchildren, 24 great grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, as well as siblings and in-laws: Jerome Pleiman, Johanna & Charlie Koesters, Teresa & William Winner, Linda & Herb Ranly, Andrew Dahlinghaus, Ralph & Anna Lee Dahlinghaus, and Mary Ann Heckman.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mary is preceded in death by a son, Steven Dahlinghaus, two sons-in-law, Mike Buschur and Rodney Wint, a grandson-in-law, Michael Smith, as well as siblings and in-laws: Dolores & Robert Van Leeuwan, Helen & James Grojean, Ellen & John Grillot, James & Joan Pleiman, Nicholas & Rose Mary Pleiman, Patricia also known as Sister Grace Mariam Pleiman S. F. P., Jeanette Pleiman, Irene Pleiman, Edward Pleiman Jr., Larry Harlamert, Rosemary & Ed Poeppelman, Martha & Earl Thieman, Esther & James Schwieterman, Thomas & Mary Alice Dahlinghaus, Thomas Heckman, and Dennis Dahlinghaus.

Mary was an active and dedicated member of St. Francis Catholic Church in Cranberry Prairie. She served the church as a lector, a eucharistic minister, and sang in the choir. She was also a member of the Ladies Sodality at St. Francis Church. Mary was a lifetime associate member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. She will be remembered and is best known for the thousands of people she fed with the wedding meals she prepared weekly over the last four decades, sometimes cooking for multiple generations of families. When not cooking meals, Mary spent her time in her beloved gardens, tending to her vegetables or flowers which bloomed from early spring through late fall each year.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, June 29, 2026, at St. Francis Church, in Cranberry Prairie. Following the funeral mass, burial will take place in St. Francis Cemetery. Friends may call from 1pm - 6pm on Sunday, June 28, or from 9am - 9:45am on Monday, June 29, at the Hogenkamp Funeral Home in St. Henry. The family appreciates the generosity and love shown to them, and requests that in lieu of flowers and gifts memorial contributions may be made in Mary’s memory to the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor at 60 Compton Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45215, or EverHeart Hospice at 1350 N. Broadway St, Greenville, OH 45331. Condolences for the family may be expressed in person or online at hogenkampfh.com.