Breaking Amish star Mama Mary Schmucker has died at age 65, following a two-year battle with colon cancer that ultimately spread all over her body.
Mama Mary sH๏τ to fame on Breaking Amish in 2012 and also joined its spin-off Return To Amish, appearing with her son Abe and daughter-in-law Rebecca.
Her son Andrew Schmucker has confirmed that Mary died at home in Pennsylvania on Friday after going to the hospital for a brief period this week.
Andrew, who is traveling home to Pennsylvania from Arkansas, added that the rest of Mary’s family has been informed of the news, via TMZ.
Mary underwent colon surgery in April 2022 and was told all the cancer was excised then, only to be informed that June that the illness had progressed to stage three.
By last November, Rebecca publicly revealed Mary was in hospice care and was experiencing so much ‘trouble eating’ that she was unable to ‘keep anything down.’
Breaking Amish star Mama Mary Schmucker has died at age 65, following a two-year battle with colon cancer that ultimately spread all over her body
Mary first rose to public attention on the TLC series Breaking Amish, which ran from 2012 to 2014, and also its spin-off Return To Amish, which ran from 2014 to 2013.
The shows followed the lives of young people from Amish and Mennonite communities torn between modern life and their traditional backgrounds.
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Two of the central figures are Abe and Rebecca, through whom Mary – as Abe’s mother – became a favorite among viewers.
In March 2022, just one month before revealing her diagnosis with colon cancer, Mary announced she would be leaving Return To Amish.
She wrote she had colon cancer in a Facebook group about Tupperware sales on April 2022, noting she was ‘scheduled for surgery this month,’ via In Touch Weekly.
Two days later, a friend wrote in the group: ‘I talked to Mary this morning. She says the doctor feels he was able to get all the cancer!! And she’s coming home today!!’
However by June, Mary announced in the group that her cancer had progressed to stage three and that she was seeking a second opinion.
‘When I did my surgery, they said they got all of the cancer,’ she recalled. ‘Two weeks later they called me and said: “You have to come in right away.”‘
Mary first rose to public attention on the TLC series Breaking Amish, which ran from 2012 to 2014; she is pictured on an episode of the original series
She was also prominently featured on its spin-off Return To Amish (pictured), which ran from 2014 to 2013, along with her son Abe and daughter-in-law Rebecca
She shared: ‘Now they tell me, I have stage three cancer, almost stage four. Chemo will not help on stage four. So, why should I even do chemo?’
However she ᴀssured her friends that she had not given up the fight just yet, writing: ‘But I’m not taking their word for it; I’m going for a second opinion.’
This past November, Rebecca posted a pH๏τo of her mother-in-law to Instagram along with a heartrending update on her medical condition.
‘I’m making a prayer request for mom. She’s not feeling good the last few weeks and can’t keep anything down and she’s having trouble eating,’ wrote Rebecca.
‘She is on hospice now. Her pain has been so bad and they are helping with that. If you could, flood her with positive messages and pray for her to be comfortable and pain free. Thank you!’ added Mary’s daughter-in-law.