OBITUARY INFORMATION FROM THE AINSWORTH, INDIANA, BLOG:

Here is Mary's obituary from the Hobart Gazette of July 29, 1954:

Hobart friends were saddened this Thursday to learn of the death of a long time local resident, Miss Mary Portmess, who died Tuesday at the age of 74 in Tampa, Florida where she has made her home for the past three years.

Miss Portmess, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William [sic] Portmess, spent her early childhood in Plymouth and Argos, coming to Hobart with her family about 1885.

The family made their home at 1109 Cleveland avenue, and following her graduation from Hobart high school, Miss Portmess attended the University of Chicago and Valparaiso University, after which she taught social science studies in the Hobart schools for 23 years and in the Gary schools for 26 years, retiring in 1945.

A twin sister, Ruth, and a brother William, also preceded her in death. Only survivors are a nephew, William F. Portmess of Watsonville, California, and a cousin, Melvin Portmess of Chicago.

The body will arrive Saturday morning at Pflughoeft's chapel, where funeral services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, with Rev. C.C. White officiating. Burial will follow in Crown Hill cemetery.

A picture of Mary Portmess's seventh-grade class in 1910:

This information and class picture were obtained from: http://ainsworthindiana.blogspot.com/search/label/Portmess. The portrait picture was obtained from the Find-A-Grave website, at: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29430233/mary-portmess.