Mary Jane Kilburn

March 3, 1936 - May 1, 2021

Mary Jane Kilburn, 85, of Oklahoma City, OK, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 1, 2021. She was born on Tuesday, March 3, 1936, in Freeport, IL, to William A. Bushelle and Anne Victoria (Lawless) Bushelle. She had a strong Catholic upbringing along with her three brothers, Joseph, William III and Thomas and one sister, Victoria Anne. As the 1954 Valedictorian of Aquin Catholic High School in Freeport, IL, she continued her education attending Rosary College in River Forest, IL, later graduated from Oscar Rose Jr. College with an Associate degree, and in 1992 earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. Mary Jane married Herbert L. Kilburn on Sunday, May 20, 1956, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Freeport, IL. She was a loving wife for 57 years until his passing, as well as a devoted mother. Together, they resided in Del City, OK, for over 40 years raising seven children. They were members of St. Paul Catholic Church where Mary Jane served as Director of Liturgy and organist for many years. Mom led a humble, compassionate life. Her quiet unassuming personality along with her knowledge gained from extensive reading and education caught friends and strangers off guard when she did speak up, amazing all with her solid understanding of life, history, and faith. Her love and compassion for her family was always at the top of her priorities, passing along life lessons for generations to come. We have never met a person who did not go out of their way to say nice things about our Mom. Even to the very end, people would always say how sweet she was and how much they enjoyed being around her. Mary Jane was incredibly involved in her children’s many activities, serving as PTA President for several terms, holding offices as a band parent, a Brownie leader, and many more. She never missed any of her kids’ piano recitals, baseball games, band concerts, competitions and countless other school programs. As an accomplished pianist and organist, she taught music to all her children and inspired many more young musicians accompanying them throughout their musical endeavors. Mary Jane is preceded in death by her husband, Herbert; parents, William and Anne Bushelle; father and mother-in-law, Alfred and Marie Kilburn; and brothers, Joseph, William III, and Thomas Bushelle. She is survived by her seven children, Mary Anne (Lewis) Evans, Sandra (David) Cunningham, Michael Kilburn, Brian (Shanna) Kilburn, Sharon Swyden, Carol (Archie, Jr.) Card, and Thomas (fiancé Regina) Kilburn; grandchildren, Chris (Alexandria), Roy (Jennifer), Andrew (Sarah), Jessica, Kaitlyn, Jennifer (Jeffrey), Matthew, Lauren (Phillip), Samuel (Madi), Chase, Ryan (Olivia), Allison (Anthony), Alexander, Nicole, Kailey, Dustin, Danielle, and Madelyn; and 16 great-grandchildren. Mary Jane is also survived by her sister, Victoria Bushelle; brother-in-law, John (Mary) Kilburn; two nieces, Jill (Tim) Sandberg and Joellyn (Brent) Veninga, and their sons.