08/15/2016

Obituary for Mabel Schermesser-Lentz

Mother of Richard and John Schermesser, Schermesser Funeral Home

Mabel Schermesser-Lentz, 97, passed away August 6, 2016.  She was born August 12, 1918 in Cleveland to the late Rev. Edmund and Mabel Lewis.  As a teenager living in Lakeside, Ohio in 1935, Mabel's mother took her to hear Amelia Earhart speak.  Mabel set goals for herself that a lot of women would not even attempt.  Mabel was a 1936 graduate of South High School and attended Mount Union College and the University of Toledo before she married her high school sweetheart Victor Schermesser.  In 1942 they opened the Schermesser Funeral Home on South Main Street in Akron.  She received her funeral director's license in 1960, one of only two women in the area.  Mabel started playing the organ at the age of 16 and she still played at funerals until she was 96 years old.  In 1980 they built a new facility in Green and she continued to be a part of the funeral home, along with her sons until 2014.

After running the funeral home with her husband Victor for 21 years and having 5 children, they finally had time to start traveling; going to Hawaii first for their 25th wedding anniversary, then with their church group to The Holy Land.

In the mid-60s, the Ohio Funeral Directors Association started annual winter trips.  Mabel and Victor were the only two that went the first 11 years in a row before taking every other year off.  These trips spanned five different continents.  In 1972 the Ohio Funeral Directors Association chartered the first 747 jet to fly out of Cleveland airport to South America.  On that same trip, while on a Greek cruise ship, the captain set a record for taking the 500-foot ship up the Amazon River in Brazil, picking up local guides and scraping sand bars 36 times.  In 1974 they flew on one of the first DC10 jets out of Cleveland airport, which was also the first DC10 to land in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia.  Mabel also got to ride on the Goodyear blimp six times in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Mabel was a member of Church of the Good Shephard (formerly Main Street Methodist) where her father was pastor.  She was also a member of Firestone Park United Methodist Church and was active in the Firestone Park and Green AARP’s, the Golden Agers of Akron Baptist Temple, and was a member of Kadesh Ct #19 of the Ladies Oriental Shrine.  She was also the last remaining charter member of the Akron Chapter of Zonta International Business and Professional Women.  

Mabel was preceded in death by husband, of 46 years, Victor Schermesser and husband, of 20 years, John Lentz; sisters, Martha and Mary and brother Henry.  She is survived by her sons, James (Betty), Richard (Abbigail) and John (Michele) Schermesser; daughters, Carol Orosa and Jeanie (Bryant Stewart) Schermesser; grandchildren, Amy, Nadine, Mario (Deidra), Jennifer, Walter (Judi) Dawn (Mike), Seth (Jennie), Jacob, Sarah, Christa (Ryan), Jason (Kim), Eric, Joseph, and Brittany; great grandchildren Dasha (Gerry), Payton, Ashton, Elyse, Owen, Audrey, Connie, Miranda, Brandon, Nicole, Rachel, Michael, Wyatt, Josie, Rylen, Savannah; great great grandchildren Daylon, Giuliana, Gabriella and Maya; as well as many loving friends.  Mabel always put her family first and loved all of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Jeanie Schermesser and her husband Bryant Stewart for the love and care they provided Mabel in her last months.
  
Funeral service will be held at 11 A.M. on Monday, August 15, 2016 at the Schermesser Funeral Home, 600 E. Turkeyfoot Lake Road (SR619) with Rev. Max Beery and Rev. Ernie Kemppel officiating.  Family and friends may call on Sunday from 3 to 8 P.M. at the funeral home.  Memorial contributions can be made in Mabel’s name to Firestone Park United Methodist Church, 250 N Firestone Blvd., Akron, Oh 44301.  Interment will be at Greenlawn Memorial Park.  To leave a special message online for the family, visit our website at www.schermesserfh.com