Marie Luise Maupin

Marie Luise "Marilu" Bushing Maupin Marie Luise "Marilu" Bushing Maupin passed into the arms of Christ, her Savior, at Holmes Regional Medical Center Melbourne, FL on August 12, 2014 after a brief battle with cancer. Born in Oak Park, Illinois on October 19, 1939, Marilu was the only child of the late William Ferdinand Bushing and Marie Georgina Oetting Bushing Yokes. Marilu's father passed away when she was just seven. She grew up in Antioch, IL, adored by her hard-working, widowed mother. Marilu often fondly recalled watching extended family and friends play pinochle, and this would inspire in her a love of games throughout her life. In 1957, she graduated from Antioch High School, and attended Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL, graduating with a B.S. in Mathematics in the top quarter of her class. Marilu moved to Germany to live with relatives, Uncle Henry and Aunt Anneliese Oetting in Dortmund, GER, working for Siemens Corporation. She remained for one year and, upon returning to the United States, went to work for Aeronautical Chart and Information Center in St. Louis, MO. Marilu spent six months in cartography school learning the skill of map-making, where she met the man who would become her lifelong love, Jerry Allen Maupin, of Enid, Oklahoma. She always maintained it was love at first site. "She was the only good-looking girl there, and I got her!" Jerry laughingly recalls. Their loving relationship is a beautiful example to many, especially their children. On December 22, 1962, Jerry and Marilu were married at Clayton Methodist Church, Clayton, MO, and they would enjoy 52 years of marriage. They began their married life in the suburbs of St. Louis, where they would have three children, and Marilu would become a stay-at-home mother. They moved to Champagne, IL, where Jerry would earn his Masters' Degree, and then to Indialantic, FL in September, 1970. In 1984, they relocated to Huntsville, AL, returning to Melbourne Beach in 1986, and they have enjoyed long-time membership at St. Mark's Methodist Church in Indialantic, FL. Marilu loved her Bible studies, and taught Sunday School for many years at her beloved church. She often spent time counseling and advising others in their walk with Christ, willingly sharing her testimony. Marilu adored her Jerry. They travelled throughout the world often and regularly, visiting approximately 79 countries. They set foot on every continent except Antarctica. They rode elephants in Thailand, drank yak butter tea in Nepal, visited National Parks throughout the western U.S., enjoyed the Northern Rockies in Canada, visited a tribe in Zambia where they helped finance a church, and visited a Maasai tribe where they financed the building of the pastor's home. They even visited Dead Horse and Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost point of the U.S. Marilu particularly enjoyed the mountains in Patagonia, and her visits to the family farm in Kleinen Vorde GER, which had been in her family since the Hundred Years' War and possibly before. Marilu adored her children and grandchildren. She could always be counted on to jump right in to a game with anyone who asked, counting Dilbert, Monopoly Deal, and Rummicube among her favorites. The late-night games of Hearts brought much laughter from the entire family. She and Jerry spent a lot of time with their grandchildren, taking them on adventure vacations on the occasions of their 10th birthdays. She had a quick wit, and enjoyed knitting, making each of her grandchildren their going-home outfits at birth, followed by sweaters, capes, scarves, and slippers. Marilu was an avid reader and loved cross-stitching. She was an officer at Christian Women's Club and the Order of the Eastern Star, taught youth group, chaperoned her children's bands and scouting troops, and remained active in her children's interests. She will be missed greatly by her sweetheart, Jerry, and their children and spouses, including Mrs. Julie Furlow (Chris) of Gainesville, FL; Mrs. Gail Matherne (David) of Cartersville, GA; and Mr. Jay Maupin (Stephanie) of Savannah, GA. Her loving grandchildren: Nathan Sean Furlow, Andrew Scott Furlow, William Paul Matherne, Anna Marie Matherne, Jacob Alexander Maupin, and Katherine Joy Maupin. She will also be missed by her special daughter-in-Christ, Betty Sienkiewicz. We are confident in her salvation and know that she is relishing being in the presence of Christ. Marilu's Celebration of Life service will be Monday, August 18, 2014, 11:00 am, at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Indialantic, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Mark's Helping Hands fund, a ministry of the church. "They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles." ~ Isaiah 40:31a