Early in the morning of Friday, 17 July, Mary Elizabeth Nettleton, recently of Hearthstone, passed away peacefully in her sleep from congestive heart failure.
The third of four daughters of Russell & Ruth (nee Kirkpatrick) Nettleton, Mary was born on Friday, 30 Oct, 1938 in York, NE. Life on the family farm instilled her with a strong work ethic, devotion to church, love of family, and the family’s penchant for cats and music. Like her sisters, she sang in the choirs of the Presbyterian Church and York High School. She also played violin in the school orchestra, and with her oldest and youngest sisters, studied piano and organ.
In 1960 she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Hastings College. Following graduation, she worked at the Hastings Planetarium, and for a legal firm in town.
In 1963, having accepted a secretarial position with the Hayden Planetarium, she moved to New York City. Similar work followed with Simon & Schuster, Unicef, and private publisher Bill Adler.
While in New York, Mary took full advantage of its cultural offerings, regularly attending the opera, ballet, and symphony. A frequent visitor to its many museums, she developed a particular interest in Egyptology. In the summers of ’65 and ’66, she volunteered for archaeological expeditions to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, enjoying field work and taking classes in its history and culture. During her 40 years in New York, she was a devoted member of the Jan Hus Presbyterian Church, and later, the Church of the Epiphany, at which she served as organist.
in 2003, Mary returned to York to care for her mother, and enjoyed reconnecting with family, childhood friends, and rejoining the York Presbyterian church, where she again sang in the choir and served in several volunteer capacities.
She was preceded in death by her parents, older sisters Naomi (Robert) Getty and Ruth (David) Wetmore, and is survived by sister Margaret (Ray) Rogers of Senatobia MS; cousins Ben & Ann (nee Collins) Kirkpatrick of York NE, Suzie (nee Kirkpatrick) & Marty Rousseau of Denton NE, and Diana Kirkpatrick of Utica; nephews and nieces Bob & Cindy (nee Willits) of Bellevue NE, Steve Getty & Patti Parziale of Wilmington DE, Mary (nee Getty) & Karl Haider of Wexford PA, Anne (nee Getty) & Dan Kissel of Cranberry Township PA; Jim Wetmore & Suzanne Claytor of Brevard NC, and Dan & Lynne (nee Brown) Wetmore of Albuquerque NM; along with great nephews and nieces Ryan and Logan Getty, Christopher Getty & Toni Bowerman, Daphne Getty, Karl Robert and Ruth Haider, Rebekah Kissel, Samuel Wetmore, and Tobin & Erica (nee Nocella) Wetmore.
Mary doted on her nieces and nephews, and their spouses and children, often sending presents for no particular occasion, and traveling to attend birthdays, graduations and weddings. She was a keeper of family stories and anecdotes, sharing them at all gatherings with the hope of keeping their memories alive for generations to come. An extremely kind and empathetic person, she gave of her time and resources to the greatest extent she could. Mary was a bright light in a world in need of more of those, and will continue to shine, through her effects on the many who knew and loved her, heeding her encouragements and mirroring her example.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the Greenwood Cemetery in York. Memorial services will follow at 11:00 am at the First Presbyterian Church in York. Mary has been cremated so there will be no viewing. However there will be signing of her book from 1-8:00 pm on Friday, September 11, with her family greeting guests from 4-6 pm that same day all at the mortuary in York. Condolences may be directed to York Adopt-A-Pet.