Mary Carolyn Klute, aged 90, of Richmond, Indiana, died Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Friends Fellowship Community. Born June 29, 1935, in Richmond, Indiana, to Nellie K Stevens Gahre and Paul G Gahre, Mary Carolyn lived much of her life in Richmond and graduated from Richmond High School in 1953.  She attended the University of Cincinnati and Towson State Teachers College, Towson, Maryland, and graduated in 1958 from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. Mary Carolyn was a member of Chi Omega sorority.

Mary Carolyn married James Stanley Klute ('Stan') on June 13, 1954, and they lived in Baltimore, Maryland, until Stan went on active duty with the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. After finishing her degree in 1958 and before starting to teach, Mary Carolyn and Stan took a memorable month-long trip visiting seven countries in Europe.  They travelled over to Europe on the Queen Mary and returned on the Queen Elizabeth.  When she returned to Dayton, she taught second grade at Rolling Fields Elementary School in Kettering, Ohio.

In 1964, Mary Carolyn and Stan moved back to Richmond. In 1971, she began her career in real estate with Otto Realty and worked as real estate broker associate for 17 years.  In 1989, Mary Carolyn started American Construction Products which was affiliated with American Metal Door Company and was President of that company.  Mary Carolyn had a real interest in historic preservation and loved restoring old houses.  She and three friends, Wayne Vincent, Joe Longstreth, and Bud Brady, founded Heritage Restorations which was one of the first groups in the mid 1970s to preserve houses in the Old Richmond Historic District, developing its potential as a neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Heritage Restorations focused on South 4th and 3rd Streets.  In all they worked on at least a dozen buildings, most notable was the former St. John's Lutheran Church and Cutter's Corner. If it wasn't for this organization historic preservation wouldn't have gotten off the ground  In addition to Old Richmond, Mary Carolyn also redeveloped her mother's motel on National Road West into a 'Williamsburg' like craft and antique 'village' called Peddler's Village.

Mary Carolyn was a very keen and accomplished golfer.  She started playing golf when she was 16 years old and loved it.  She had many golfing achievements.  Mary Carolyn was Women's Club Champion twice at Forest Hills Country Club (1994 and 1996), three times at Elks Country Club (1994, 1998 and 2004) and once at Highland Lake Golf Club (1983).  Because of these Club Championships, Mary Carolyn was invited to play at the National Ladies Club Championship tournaments which were held at prominent championship golf courses throughout the United States.  She was also City Ladies Golf Champion in 1989 and 1994.  In 1994, Mary Carolyn won Forest Hills CC Club Championship, Elks Country Club and the City Ladies Golf Championship which was a huge achievement!  In 1995, the Palladium Item wrote an article featuring Mary Carolyn's efforts to support women's golf stating that 'Klute, defending city champion and current president of the RWGA, is tireless proponent of the sport and is a big reason women's golf in Richmond continues to move forward'.   Mary Carolyn belonged to the Western Women's Golf Association, the Women's Trans National Golf Association, the Indiana Women's Golf Association, the Eastern Indiana Women's Golf, Association, the Richmond (Indiana) Women's Golf Association and OLGA (Old Ladies Golf Association). She had served as Ladies Golf Chairman at Forest Hills Country Club, Elks County Club and Highland Lake Golf Club, Richmond Women's Golf Association and Eastern Indiana Ladies Golf Association.  Mary Carolyn was also on the Board of Directors at the Women's Trans National Golf Association where she served as Communications Director.   Mary Carolyn was selected to be a scorer for 8 years at the PGA Golf Championship in Florida and was also a scorer for the 1983 Ryder Cup.

In addition to golf and business pursuits, Mary Carolyn was an avid volunteer.  She was Chairman of the YWCA Christmas Village (1971) and made and sold hundreds of gingerbread men and Christmas ornaments. Mary Carolyn was President of the Y's Menettes.  She was also President of Junior Players at Civic Theatre (1968) and Chairman of the City of Richmond, Indiana, American Revolution Bicentennial Committee 1976 Tour of Homes.  She was active in the League of Women Voters and served as Treasurer of the GOP Women's Group in 1969.  Mary Carolyn was a member of Kappa, Kappa Kappa (Tri-Kappa), Gamma Associate Chapter.  Stan and Mary Carolyn donated Three Wise Men hand-carved wooden sculptures to the Wayne County Historical Museum.

Mary Carolyn and Stan loved to travel. The highlight of which was an epic 'Around the World' trip in 1998 visiting eight countries including many exotic locations.  They travelled to Russia three times living with local people and acquired a collection of Russian art as well as travelling the Golden Ring around Moscow.  Mary Carolyn's mother Nellie Gahre came from Slovakia in 1909 and in 1989 Mary Carolyn visited her birthplace in Revuca, Slovakia.   They made several trips abroad as well as visiting their daughter, Traci Weaver, and her family in England and accompanying Traci's family on trips to Tuscany, Italy and Switzerland.  They even took the Concorde back from London one year.  Mary Carolyn and Stan also travelled extensively within the United States and played golf all over including Pebble Beach twice.

Mary Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband Stan in 2009.  Survivors include her daughter Traci Klute Weaver (David) of West Palm Beach, Florida and London, England and her son Scott Paul Klute (Holly) of Columbus, Ohio.  Six grandchildren, Klara Weaver, Ben Weaver, Lauren Klute, Sarah Klute, Brooke Klute and Kelly Klute and her great-grandchildren.

Visitation for Mary Carolyn Klute will be held on Friday May 15, 2026  12 noon to 1 pm followed by a memorial service at 1:00 pm, St Paul's Lutheran Church, 121 S 18th Street, Richmond, Indiana.  Burial will be in Lutherania Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St Paul's Lutheran Church, 121 S 18th Street in Richmond, Indiana; Help the Animals, 2101 W Main St, Richmond, IN or Richmond Civic Theater,   1003 E Main St, Richmond, IN 47374. Stegall-Berheide-Orr Funeral Service is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be shared with the family via the guest book at stegallberheideorr.com.