Bench dedicated to Washington woman

WASHINGTON — Mary Bump died from cancer at age 37, Sept. 20, 2021. Last weekend, nearly a year later, a bench was dedicated in her name at the Wellness Park in Washington.

“Mary will always remain a bright light for me and I’m happy to have known and spend precious moments with her,” Mayor Jaron Rosien said at the ceremony. “On behalf of the city of Washington, it is an honor to dedicate this bench in memory and tribute of Mary Bump.”

The bench was built by Travis Fogle, a cousin of Bump’s. His wife — and friend of Mary’s — Tenia Fogle, said it was an emotional day.

“It was exciting and happy, but sad at the same time,” she said. “We are coming up on a year of losing her, too, so that was a big mixture of emotions.”

Julie Sillanpaa, one of Bump’s eight siblings, said the day went well.

“None of us knew what to expect,” she said. “We knew it’d be great, but when we all walked up, it was tears in our eyes … and we just know that she was looking down loving every second of it.

“As far as the memorial service, I feel like it was perfect. It was supposed to rain, and it switched it up so it rained on Saturday, and Sunday was beautiful. A bunch of family and her really close friends were there … It was a really nice memorial, and something to remember her by.”

Sillanpaa said the family was glad to have the memorial in place.

“It’s really special to us, we all grew up in Washington, and growing up there meant a lot to us,” she said. “Mary lived in Washington at the time that she passed, so she was kind of the last family member that lived there in town. One of her biggest things, before she passed was, she wanted a place for all of her friends and family in Washington to be able to visit her. She’s buried up here in the Des Moines area, where a lot of our family is buried.”

As for why the family chose a bench memorial, Sillanpaa said it was fitting, installed close to the fields where she once played slow-pitch softball.

“She had the biggest heart and was always looking to help any way she could,” she said. “It’s a place to rest and be with her, and take it in, a good symbol of how she cared for people.”

Sillanpaa established a memorial foundation in her sister’s name after her death. While the organization paid for the bench, it’s also raised funds now for a number of people in need.

"(It’s) just to honor her because we know that she’s so caring and would be honored that her name is helping other people,“ Sillanpaa said. ”We help individuals and families that have been hit with genetic conditions, terminal disease and other catastrophic events, that’s kind of what the foundation is all about.“

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com