Mary Ellen Hines

Mary Ellen (Janisch) Hines, 96, of Olathe, died peacefully February 11, 2010. Mary Ellen was born August 29, 1913, to George and Nell Hayman Janisch in Houstonia, Missouri. Born and raised on a Missouri farm, Mary Ellen gained an appreciation of gardening and hard work. She attended both Park College and San Diego State College, intending to become a public school teacher. The Depression forced her to leave college before graduating and she moved to Chicago to work for the Chicago Tribune. While at a public beach on Lake Michigan, Mary Ellen met a lifeguard named Norman Hines. Mary Ellen and Norman were married for 58 years until Norman's death in 1994. The Hines family moved to Kansas in 1942 and Mary Ellen lived the rest of her life in the Olathe area. Mary Ellen and Norman raised four children; N. William Hines, Jr. (Jean), of Iowa City, IA; Thomas Jensen Hines (Susan), of Raleigh, North Carolina; Susan Hines Sommerville (John), of Gainesville, FL; and Barbara Hines Belt (Michael), of Prairie Village. All four children followed their mother's ambition and became public school teachers. At the age of 55, Mary Ellen returned to finish her undergraduate work at the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor's degree in Physical Education and graduating with her daughter, Barbara. She taught P.E. at the Kansas School for the Deaf. She spent the next 25 years caring for Norman as he suffered the effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Mary Ellen was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church, Olathe, and was a member of the P.E.O. sisterhood for over 50 years. Mary Ellen loved to travel, played tennis until she was 85, and was devoted to physical fitness, rising early each morning to do her exercises even when she was in her early 90's. One of the great legacies of her life will be the Hines cabin on Star Island, Cass Lake, MN. She spent parts of 56 summers walking trails among the pine and birch trees, swimming in the lake, and enjoying time with her extended family as they reunited annually in northern MN. Mary Ellen's brother, Frank Hayman Janisch, was killed in World War II, she is survived by her sister, Mima Janisch Kapke (Pleasant Hill, Mo.), her four children, nine grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, February 20, at Grace United Methodist Church, Olathe, followed by a memorial service celebrating her life at 11:00 am. The family suggests donations to Grace United Methodist Church, Olathe, Kansas or the charity of your choice.