Mary Alice Bertram

Mary Alice Bertram, age 86, of Evansville, IN, passed away June 6, 2024, at River Pointe Health Campus. 

Mary Alice was born December 23, 1937, in Princeton, IN, to the late Oscar “Paul” and Ermal (Mahan) Lehman. She was active in Gibson County 4-H, earned numerous Gibson County Fair Grand Champion ribbons and blue ribbons at the Indiana State Fair.

She was a 1956 graduate of Francisco High School.  She earned a BS degree from Indiana State University in 1960; an MS degree from Indiana University in 1965; and an Ed.S degree from Indiana University in 1971. She also completed other graduate work at Stetson University in Deland, Florida and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.

Mary Alice began teaching social studies at Central High School in Evansville in the fall of 1960. She taught there until the birth of John in 1966. She supervised student teachers for USI from 1973-1978.

She returned to EVSC in 1981 as a Media Specialist at Reitz High School.  She then transferred to Cynthia Heights in 1983 and was the Media Specialist there until her retirement in 2001.

Mary Alice joined Salem United Methodist Church in 1973 where she served as chair of the church council from 2005-2008.  She also helped with the  Bell Tower Bazaar, bereavement dinners, and other church committees.

Mary Alice was extremely involved in community service.  She was a member and past officer of Zeta Tau Alpha Alumnae Chapter. She was a founding member and two time president of Friends of Willard Library.  She was also past president of Pi Lambda Theta, an education honor society.

She was a past recording secretary of the Junior League of Evansville, which she joined in 1971, and a past editor of the Philharmonic Guild Baton and the Indiana State AAUW newsletter. She was past president of Altrusa of Evansville as well as an active board member of the Public Education Foundation from 2002-2011.

She was a life member of the Indiana University Alumni Association, Indiana State University Alumni Association, Indiana Retired Teachers Association, Evansville Retired Teachers Association, USI Retirees, and the USI Varsity Club. She was also a member of USI’s Presidents Associates.

Mary Alice greatly enjoyed watching Matthew and Michael’s baseball, basketball, and soccer games and Katherine’s school plays. After her grandchildren, national and international travel were her passions, particularly travel in Europe. She was a voracious reader and spent much of her summers, while not at a ballgame, in her backyard fern garden.

She established two scholarships at the University of Southern Indiana, the Charles J. Bertram Memorial Scholarship and the Lehman-Bertram Scholarship honoring her parents, her brother, Mark Lehman, and Charles' Parents, Clarence and Mabel Bertram. She also annually awarded the Charles J. and Mary Alice Bertram Family Scholarship, through the Public Education Foundation at Central High School. 

Mary Alice is survived by sons, John Bertram (Sara), Newburgh, Indiana and David Bertram, Lexington, Ky.; Grandsons, Matthew (Blaire) Bertram, Evansville, Indiana; Michael (Brooke) Bertram, Bloomington, Indiana; granddaughter Katherine Bertram, Lexington, Ky; sister-in-law Cathy Lehman, and nieces and nephews. 

Mary Alice is preceded in death by her parents; an infant sister, Marilyn Sue; and brother, Mark Paul Lehman; and her late husband of 38 years, Charles J. Bertram. 

The family would like to express our gratitude to the River Pointe Assisted Living staff for caring for Mary Alice in ways we could not. 

Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m., Monday, June 17, 2024, at Boone Funeral Home East Chapel – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue with Pastor Bessie Adams officiating. Burial will be in Northview Cemetery in Elberfeld, IN.

Friends may visit from 10 a.m. until service time, Monday, June 17, 2024, at Boone Funeral Home East Chapel.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Altrusa Foundation of Evansville at PO Box 5033, Evansville, IN 47716.

A Live Stream will be available beginning twenty minutes prior to the service time. Please visit www.boonefuneralhome.net, select Mary Alice’s obituary, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click View Video/Live Stream.

Boone Funeral Home East Chapel – A Family Tradition Funeral Home, 5330 Washington Avenue, Evansville, IN, is handling the arrangements and is honored to serve the family of Mary Alice Bertram. Condolences may be made to the family online at boonefuneralhome.net

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