In Loving Memory of Mary Ann Schweikert, 81, of Saratoga Springs, who passed away Sunday, February 18, 2024.

Born April 29, 1942, in Kingston, New York, she was the daughter of the late Anna Lavina Denman Law and Bernard George Law, growing up with her older sister Jan in a loving family. As a child, Mary Ann adored her cat Tootsie and dogs Penney and Trixie, and while she was living on a sheep farm, twin lambs were born on Abraham Lincoln's birthday. She and her sister adopted them as pets, naming them Abe and Linc. She very much looked forward to visiting her Aunt Ruth, and in later years, after Ruth's passing, would adopt her famous giant Christmas cactus. These days, once a year, that plant bursts into magenta blossoms in Mary Ann's daughter's dining room. Mary Ann had fond memories of spending time with cousins Jim and Wayne Cooper, playing basketball and softball, acting as a field hockey goalie in high school and college, summering at Hunter Lake, and making soft-serve cones in her parents' Dairy Queen business.

Mary Ann graduated from Middletown High School, received a Bachelor of Arts from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania, and completed graduate work at Russell Sage College. After graduation, she married her longtime college sweetheart, Bertram Longbotham, Jr., on June 6, 1964, in Middletown, New York. They began their careers as teachers in the Ballston Spa School District, and after two years, Mary Ann left the classroom behind to embark on her most meaningful career choice, that of a stay-at-home mother. As a full-time mom, she nurtured her two children along with many of their neighborhood friends.

Bert and Mary Ann's home was a popular after-school gathering spot for freshly-baked cookies and scotcharoos, tire-swing competitions, arts and crafts, petting rabbits Sherry and Jerry, having fun on the swing-set and in the playhouse Bert built, plucking grapes from the front-yard arbor, doing homework, reading books, watching Bonanza with big bowls of buttery popcorn, and a host of other activities. Mary Ann's favorite escapes included The Pines in Canaan, Connecticut, her parent's summer camp where extended family would gather for vacation, and Cape Cod, home of her beloved sister and favorite beaches. One of Mary Ann's great loves was her faithful dog Pepper, a mixed-breed stray who rang the doorbell after playing in the snow with the kids all day, came in the house, and never left. They were an inseparable pair for seventeen years. During the holiday season, Mary Ann's homemade peanut brittle and delicious pastry braids were always a huge hit with family and friends!

Active in Ballston Spa's United Methodist Church while the kids were growing up, Mary Ann played the autoharp and keyboard, sang in the folk choir, and volunteered for "A Venture in Caring" - gathering and distributing clothing and necessities to those in need. After her divorce and remarriage, Mary Ann served as the Assistant Minister of Youth and Children, assisting Pastor Clayton Burgess at the South Glens Falls United Methodist Church. There, as a leader of the Methodist Youth Fellowship, she helped many young people successfully navigate the challenges of their teenage years. The bonds forged there were strong and beautiful, and many endured throughout the rest of her life.

After moving from Queensbury to Warrensburg to Brant Lake, Mary Ann finally settled into a charming home in Glens Falls, where she worked as the local Director of Literacy Volunteers and an Editor for Delmar Publishing. It was here she truly flourished, becoming close friends with Niki Mook, planting a backyard of blooming flowers, painting, attending art exhibitions with the late artist Werner John, writing poems and stories, volunteering, sharing meals and card games with her mother on weekends, roaming about New England with the late Jerry Adamowicz in his trusty RV, exploring Vermont with her sister Jan, and hiking the Adirondacks with her college roommate Leslie Yerkes.

When her mother's health began declining, Mary Ann moved to Saratoga Springs and cared for her until she passed in 2009. Living in Saratoga, Mary Ann was physically closer to her Aunt Betty, and the two of them delighted in taking scenic drives and hitting the Wendy's drive-through for a chocolate frosty. Always deeply committed to family, Mary Ann traveled twice to Cape Cod to be a short-term caregiver while her sister recovered from surgeries.

Of all of Mary Ann's many accomplishments, she was most proud of her children. More than once, she mentioned being forever grateful to her former husband, Bert, and his wife, Sally, for their steadfast love and support of their kids, which continues to this day.

Mary Ann Schweikert was predeceased by her parents. Survivors include her sister Janet Marie Law Hull; two children, Bonnie Longbotham and her fiancé Kyle Brown and James Longbotham and his wife Johanna; grandson Sam Longbotham and his wife Sage; grandson Abe Longbotham; cousins; a niece; a nephew and many cherished friends.

An online celebration of life will be held Thursday, May 23, at 7:00 p.m. during a Zoom event. As Mary Ann was an avid gardener and loved her flowers, the family is distributing packets of perennial flower seeds for people to plant in her memory. To request an invitation or seed packet or share a remembrance, please email maryann@longbotham.com. Per the family's wishes, her burial in Hurley Cemetery will be private.

Mary Ann's family would like to extend our deepest gratitude to Stacey Vrooman of Saratoga Springs, Bonnie and Jim's sister from another mother. This extraordinary woman was like a daughter to Mary Ann, tending to her needs for years and tirelessly advocating on her behalf. We would also like to thank Kim Burgoyne, the doctors and nurses at St. Peter's Health Partners in Albany, Dr. Alexander Cardiel, JulieAnn Calareso, Esq. of Gleason Dunn Walsh & O'Shea, P.C., Sean O'Brien of O'Brien's Pharmacy, Kristina Fullington of Raymond Watkin Apartments, the care team from The Community Hospice, and William J. Burke & Sons (Bussing & Cunniff, Inc. Funeral Homes). It takes a village, and we are grateful.

Memorial donations in honor of Mary Ann Schweikert can be made to Shelters of Saratoga (https://sheltersofsaratoga.org/donate/https-sheltersofsaratoga-salsalabs-org-donate-index-html/).