Mary (Poorbaugh) Garlitz

Mary Garlitz, 94, Berlin, died December 17, 2024 in Fairhope. She was born August 7, 1930. Mary was born and raised in the Poorbaugh family home and dairy farm in Glencoe that reaches back through 200 years of Poorbaugh generations. She was the third oldest child of Samuel J. Poorbaugh III and Elsie Jane Leister. She was welcomed in to an extra large, extra loving family that grew to include 8 brothers and sisters. Growing up surrounded by the beautiful Allegheny mountains, she went to school in a one-room school house, helped her mother take care of the younger siblings, and knew what it was like to pick and enjoy apples from their orchard trees. Mary and her husband Elwood were blessed with 2 sons Barry and Allan. Through Elwood’s FAA job they lived in several states, but in 1965 the family of 4 settled in a beautiful home in Commack, Long Island and adopted their Airedale terrier, Missy. Mary’s years were busy with Barry and Allan’s boy scouting, and church activities with their Commack Methodist church friends. Mary had a lovely gift of hospitality and welcomed anyone who came to her door. She was an amazing cook! Everyone loved her homestyle meals of roast beef or chicken, big bowls piled high with homemade mashed potatoes, hot cooked vegetables, applesauce, creamed cucumbers, hot rolls, and her homemade jellies. And no one will ever forget her famous chocolate chip cookies that she brought to family reunions. Everyone knew they had to hurry to get one because they were the first things to disappear from the dessert table! Mary was all that comes to mind when you think of a “storybook grandma”. She was blessed to be called Grandma by 2 granddaughters, Christine and Karen. Their days together as young girls started with making pancakes almost every morning., reading storybooks out loud together, going for long walks, baking cookies, and playing outside on the swing set. In 1990, Mary and Elwood moved from Long Island back to where they always called home in Pennsylvania. They lived out their retirement years in Berlin, just 30 minutes from Mary’s childhood home. They spent their days delivering Meals on Wheels, gardening, and taking long walks together. They enjoyed 61 years of marriage until Elwood passed away in 2013. Mary was a kind, caring, gentle spirit who was dearly loved by family. She will be remembered as a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and neighbor who always had a smile on her face. She will be dearly missed. Family will receive friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Deaner Funeral Home, Berlin. Viewing from 9 a.m. until a funeral service at 10 a.m. Saturday at Trinity United Church of Christ, Berlin. Rev. David Creamer officiating. Interment Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Glencoe. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be given to Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington D.C., 20090. DeanerFuneralsAndCremations.com