Mary Jane Eggert

Mary Jane Eggert, age 92, a lifelong resident of LaPorte, Indiana, passed away on Friday evening, September 25, 2026, at Northwest Hospital in LaPorte.

Mary was born on June 27, 1934, in LaPorte to the late Fredrick Huge and Bertha Felton Huge. She was a 1952 graduate of Kingsbury High School. On February 12, 1955, Mary married the love of her life, Wilbur Eggert. Together, they built a life rooted in family, faith, hard work, and the farm they called home. They shared more than 63 years of marriage before Wilbur preceded her in death on December 18, 2018.

A farmer’s wife in every sense of the word, Mary knew the meaning of a long day’s work. She was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and do whatever needed to be done. Whether tending her garden, caring for the pigs and other animals on the farm, preserving the season’s harvest, or caring for her family, Mary approached life with determination and an incredible work ethic.

For more than 22 years, Mary worked in the cafeteria at Boston Middle School, retiring in 2010. Generations of students came to know her affectionately as “The Cookie Lady,” because Mary was the one who made the cookies. Her love of baking did not end when she left the school each day. At home, there seemed to be a never-ending cookie jar, and her chocolate chip cookies were a favorite throughout the year. Christmas brought an especially treasured tradition, when Mary would gather in the kitchen with her grandchildren to bake cookies together. Those flour-dusted afternoons and the sweet memories created around her kitchen will remain a cherished part of her family’s story.

Mary also found great satisfaction in her garden. She lovingly tended her vegetables and took pride in the abundant harvest each year. Very little went to waste, as she spent countless hours canning and freezing what she had grown. More importantly, she passed that knowledge along, teaching her grandchildren how to can and freeze vegetables themselves. In doing so, Mary gave them far more than a practical skill—she shared a piece of herself and a tradition they can carry forward for generations.

Even Mary’s fondness for the farm found its way into her home, where over the years she collected porcelain pigs, a fitting reflection of the animals she had enjoyed caring for throughout her life.

Above everything else, however, Mary treasured her family. She loved being a mother to her four boys and took tremendous joy in watching her family grow. Becoming a grandmother and later a great-grandmother brought her immeasurable happiness. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were among the greatest blessings of her life, and the time she spent teaching them, baking with them, and simply being their grandma created memories they will carry with them always.

Mary was a longtime member of First Methodist Church in LaPorte, and her faith remained an important part of her life. She was also a member of Farm Bureau and enjoyed participating in Silver Sneakers at the YMCA in LaPorte.

Mary is survived by her four sons, Raymond Eggert (Laura), Ronald Eggert (Linda), Randall Eggert (Alynn), and Roger Eggert (Narcine); ten grandchildren, Joshua Eggert (Christina), Loren Eggert (Chelsea), Christopher Eggert (Maggie), Stephanie Eggert, Jennifer Saunders (Alex), Tyler Eggert (Teresa), Garrett Eggert, Quinlan Eggert, Trevor Eggert, and Reece Eggert; 11 great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Nathan, Allison, Adeline, William, Wyatt, Colton, Coraline, Nora, Cora and Carter; brother, Richard Huge (Margaret); sister-in-law, Esther Kendall (the late Fred Huge); and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and lifelong friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Wilbert Eggert; and her brother, Fred Huge.

Funeral services for Mary will be held at Haverstock Funeral Home and Cremation Services in LaPorte on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. A visitation will be held at the funeral home on Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m., and again on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Mary will be laid to rest immediately following the funeral service at Oak Grove Cemetery in Mill Creek, Indiana.

Mary lived a life that was rich not because of possessions, but because of the people she loved, the work she took pride in, and the traditions she carefully passed from one generation to the next. Her legacy can be found in a garden planted in the spring, vegetables preserved for the winter, the familiar smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, and the lessons her children and grandchildren learned by simply working alongside her. Mary was a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, and a hardworking woman whose hands spent a lifetime caring for the people and things entrusted to her. Those simple, beautiful pieces of everyday life will keep her memory close for generations to come.