Mary Ruth (Rittenhouse) Foley Baier

Mary Ruth (Rittenhouse) Foley Baier joined her loving family in Heaven on October 5, 2022. She was born on February 2nd, 1926 in Troy, Kansas. It was a community she visited for many years, participating in annual Troy High School class reunions. She was preceded in death by her parents Noah and Mary Rittenhouse; siblings Inez, Ruby, Virgil and Robert; her husband John Foley (1981), husband Mike Baier (2006); daughters Patty O’Toole and Peggy Jewell; and a granddaughter Alyssa Mary Whitaker.

After high school, Mary moved to Kansas City with her best friend Rose and worked as an administrative assistant at Pratt and Whitney. In later years, she worked for Celebrity China, the City of Shawnee, and Johnson County Housing. She enjoyed helping others and sharing resources with clients.

She and her husband John Foley raised five daughters in Shawnee, Kansas where Mary lived for most of her life. She was a member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church and the American Legion Auxiliary. After the death of her husband John, she helped start Johnson County Uno’s—a support group for widows and widowers.

In 1984, she married Michael Baier. Together they enjoyed their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, gardening, trips to Branson with friends, and attending the Shawnee Fire Department gatherings. She organized yearly family reunions and hosted many family gatherings over the years. For many years, she and her friends met weekly to play Canasta.

Her greatest joy was being a mom to her five daughters, a grandmother to 14 grandchildren and to 25 great-grandchildren. She never stopped loving them or finding a way to stay connected. She will be greatly missed by all. Mary leaves daughters Kathy Coffey, Mary Rose Smith (Greg), Helen Damico (Mike); grandchildren Brian Jewell (Nicole), Brandon Jewell (Nicole), John Coffey (Laura), Jenny Curran (Travis), Jason Coffey, Casey Garcia, Erin Miller, Megan Cosman (Mike), Molly O’Toole, Kris Smith (Sharielle), Cara Rockey (Jake), Kyle Whitaker (Becky), Hailey Whitaker (Mich), 25 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews she adored and many dear friends.

The family is grateful for the excellent loving care that many caregivers at assisted living homes and the North Care Kansas City Hospice House gave that blessed Mary the last two years of her life. Donations may be made to the American Legion Auxiliary Scholarship Fund , and to Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care .

A visitation will be held from 4-6 pm on Sunday, October 9th, 2022 at the Amos Family Funeral Home in Shawnee. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Monday, October 10th at 10 am at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, also in Shawnee. She will be laid to rest at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa following the mass.