Mary “Gretchen” Weigel, 80, of Shepherdstown, WV passed away on Saturday, July 7th. Gretchen was born on November 18, 1937, in Columbus, IN to the late Charles Swain and Louise (Gressel) Swain. Gretchen was a 1955 graduate of Batesville High School in Batesville, IN and a 1959 graduate of Purdue University.

Gretchen married Jack Weigel on September 6, 1958, in Batesville, IN.

She was a teacher at Hedgesville Jr. High, Leetown Elementary and North Jefferson Elementary. She retired in 1989 after 20 years of service.

Partnering with her husband, Gretchen enjoyed square dancing for many years with the Westernaires in Hagerstown, MD. Gretchen loved cooking and baking and won many cooking competitions. She was a three-time winner of the WV Beef Cook-off and won a national beef cook-off. She won several chicken cooking competitions in Moorefield, WV. She also won numerous local baking contests with her delicious pies and culinary creations.

Gretchen was a member of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church where she had served on the church council, visited shut-ins delivering personally baked treats and was active with the WELCA women’s group. She coordinated WELCA’s annual Harvest Festival bake sale.

A volunteer with the Red Cross, Gretchen was the site coordinator for the Shepherdstown Fire Hall blood drives for many years. She was a long-time member of the Mecklenburg CEOS group and was a volunteer that exercised dogs at the Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County for many years.

Gretchen’s greatest passion was her family. She is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Jack Weigel; sons, Greg Weigel and wife, Karen and Steve Weigel and wife, Jean; daughter Lynne Hammerstrom; grandchildren, Dawn Beatty and husband, Doug, Brock Weigel and wife, Kaitlyn, Ty Hammerstrom, Chase Hammerstrom and Kelsey Weigel; great-grandchildren, Daphne Beatty, Smith Beatty and Brody Weigel; siblings, Bill Swain and Linda Pulskamp and husband, Leon; brother-in-law, Tom Weigel and wife, Freda and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by sister-in-law, Wanda Swain and brother-in-law, Allen Weigel and wife, Allene.

A funeral service will be held at 11 am on Saturday, July 14th, at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, 112 N. King St., Shepherdstown, WV with Pastor Karen Erskine-Valentine officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, PO Box 2008, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.

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