Mae Hoffman

Mae Hoffman, 94, of Exeter Township, passed away March 26, 2023, in her residence. She was the wife of the late Earl R. Hoffman with whom she shared 65 years of marriage before his death in 2016. Born in Exeter Township on March 6, 1929 as Susan Mae Wegman, Mae was the seventh child and second daughter of Walter and Carrie (Mertz) Wegman. She attended school at Exeter through the 10th grade, completing her education as a 1947 graduate of Oley High School, where she was remembered by classmates as the “girl with with golden voice”. After graduation, she worked in the family poultry business, and at family market stands.

Mae married Earl Renninger Hoffman on June 16, 1951 at Schwarzwald Reformed church in Exeter Township. Their early years of marriage were spent on the Hoffman family farm in Bally, with Earl working on the farm and Mae working at the Great American Knitting Mills, now Gold Toe Socks. Moving back to Reading in 1955, Mae and Earl purchased their own farm, where they grew digitalis, raised turkeys, aged cheese, and eventually had their own catering shop. The opportunity to open their own market stand at Freese’s Auction in Pottstown, followed by a stand at Kissinger’s Market in Reading, and finally the Reading Farmer’s Market, Inc., led to a successful career as the owners and operators of Hoffman’s Catering until the mid-1990s. Mae loved to feed people and will be remembered by many customers for her delicious rice pudding, as well as by her family for her tapioca pudding, angel food cake, red velvet cake, and waffles. Besides working and caring for her husband and her home, through the years Mae enjoyed attending church, singing hymns, traveling, and tending to her flowers.

Mae is survived by a brother, Levi M. Wegman, as well as many generations of nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by brothers Myron Wegman, Robert Wegman, Sylvanus Wegman, Harold Wegman, and Daniel Wegman, as well as by a sister, Ruth (Wegman) Houp.

Visitation with family and friends will be held on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am with services beginning at 11:00 am in the Lutz Funeral Home, Inc., 2100 Perkiomen Avenue Reading, PA 19606. Interment in Oley Church Cemetery, Spangsville. Lutz Funeral Home, Inc is in charge of arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.LutzFuneralHome.cpm