Freeland

Mae S. Freeland, 88, of Butler passed away Friday.

Mae, or “Mae Bird” as she was affectionately called by her friends and the staff at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, was born in Pittsburgh on April 23, 1922.

Before the joys of marriage and raising a family, Mae embraced life to the fullest. She was a formally trained concert pianist. As a young woman, Mae enjoyed jitterbug dancing, winning many contests. She was an accomplished equestrian.

After graduation from high school, she served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a photography specialist 3.

Upon leaving the service of her country, Mae continued her life's journey. She worked at Elizabeth Arden's and Duquesne Light before meeting her husband, Edward William Freeland. Together they created a fulfilling life during which they enjoyed traveling, music and the theater, while raising a family of three.

In her spare time, Mae was a proficient seamstress and enjoyed knitting and needlepoint.

They created Bandom Acres, a recognized kennel for breading championship Newfoundland dogs, winning Best of Breed at Westminster twice.

After losing her husband in 1971, Mae continued her working life. For many years, she was the business office manager at the College Gardens Apartments at Slippery Rock State University. For a brief time, Mae relocated to Pittsburgh assuming the role of nanny for the daughter of two doctors. She returned to Butler and worked as a caregiver for the Area Agency on Aging. Mae then relocated to Melbourne, Fla., where she continued this mission as a personal care provider for several families. She volunteered at a local hospital as a “cuddler” in the nursery for newborns.

In 1995, she returned to Butler to spend more time with her family.

Mae had a full life and touched the lives of everyone she met. She truly believed that life was not a dress rehearsal and that “too much of a good thing was just enough.”

Surviving Mae are her children, Michelle Skal of Lyndora, Michael Freeland of Melbourne Beach Fla., and Parker Freeland of Denver, Colo.; four grandchildren, Shawn and Jessica Bossinger of Butler and Noah and Brianna Freeland of Denver, Colo.; and two great-grandchildren, Hannah and Beau Bossinger of Butler.

<B>FREELAND</B> — Private services for Mae S. Freeland, who died Friday, Jan. 7, 2011, were arranged by <B>Young Funeral Home</B>, Butler. Information also is available at www.youngfuneralhomes.com.