Mary Jane Kulp

Mary Jane Kulp of Burlington, NJ passed away February 19, 2026 at the age of 89. She was born in Kansas City, MO to Charles E Sherer and Margaret Northern Sherer and sister Carol. She grew up in the small western Kansas town of Mullinville ,20 miles east of Dodge City. She attended Kansas State University where she met and eventually married her husband of 69 years James Kulp. She lived most of her married adult life in Mount Laurel, NJ. She worked two years in the Insurance industry before starting their family. They had three children Greg (Diana) Scott (Neva) and Cindy (Rob). Grandchildren Chase, Nicholas (Cass) and Tyler and Great grandaughter Natalie with another great grandchild on the way. She and Jim moved to the Masonic Village in Burlington and have been there six years.

She loved Jesus and her family dearly, and created and managed a loving home, providing for her children with love and discipline. She enjoyed sewing and made clothes for her children when they were young. For ten consecutive summers the family went to the farm in Kansas to help with wheat harvest. Mary Jane cooked lunch and dinner in our 1884 homestead house for 14 hungry farmers 7 days a week plus washing clothes in an old fashioned washer that used a wringer.

She was blessed with an adventurous spirit. When she was 4 years old she decided to visit her sister at school. Without alerting her caregiver, she walked 1 half mile into town and was discovered by a farmer on the way who picked her up and took her to the school and subsequently notified her father. Another time, she accompanied Jim on a 2 week technical conference in New York City. While Jim was in class, she explored the city via subway and taxi enjoying the sights and sounds of places such as broadway plays, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park carriage rides, shopping and museums. She met a clothing store owner that she and Jim became friends with and started a ritual of shopping there often.

A celebration of Mary Jane’s life will be held at Roberts Family Funeral Home in Beloit on Friday February 27th at 10:30am, with interment following at Elmwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Mary Jane to Wycliffe Bible Translators.