Breaking Amish Star Mama Mary Schmucker Dies at 65 Following Colon Cancer Complications: Report
Breaking Amish Star Mama Mary Schmucker Dies at 65 Following Colon Cancer Complications: Report
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Mama Mary Schmucker, best known for starring in the TLC reality shows Breaking Amish and Return to Amish, has died following colon cancer complications, according to TMZ. She was 65.
Her son, Andrew Schmucker, told the outlet that Mama Mary died from complications of the disease at her home in Pennsylvania on Friday, March 28, after having been briefly hospitalized earlier in the week. He shared that the cancer had spread throughout her body.
TMZ reports that Mama Mary was initially diagnosed with colon cancer in 2022. In April of that year, her daughter-in-law, Rebecca Schmucker, shared that Mama Mary had undergone colon surgery via an Instagram post. In November 2024, Rebecca shared that Mama Mary had entered hospice care.
“I’m making a prayer request for mom,” she wrote in the post. “She’s not feeling good the last few weeks and can’t keep anything down and she’s having trouble eating. 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,” she added.
TLC’s Breaking Amish and Return to Amish followed the trials and tribulations of several young Amish people as they decide to experience life outside of their sheltered communities. Mama Mary was mother to Abe, one of the recurring castmates, and appeared in a number of episodes.
Fans of the show knew Mama Mary for her positive energy and forgiving spirit.
In a December 2024 update on Instagram, Rebecca wrote that fans’ “prayers are always appreciated for her pain and for her to be able to rest comfortably.”
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages asking how mom is doing. There really isn’t much to say because she’s doing about the same,” she wrote at the time. “She doesn’t want her personal details shared far and wide and we need to respect her wishes. Prayers are always appreciated for her pain and for her to be able to rest comfortably. Thank you!”
