Mary Lee McNall

Mary Lee McNall

Mary Lee McNall passed away May 6, 2011 at Panorama City, Lacey, WA at age 97. She was born January 9, 1914, in Mansfield, TX, daughter of James William Garland of Tupelo, MS and Sara Eleanor (Haney) Garland of AL. Mary Lee spent her formative years in the Texas panhandle with her farming family. Her ancestral roots trace back to 17th century Virginia, where some of her forbearers, including the Garlands, were tobacco planters. Mary Lee attended Bethany-Peniel College in Bethany, OK, and while there in 1938 she met her husband of 70 years, Lorenzo (L.D.) McNall, who at that time was acquiring his second college degree, this time in Theology. They married in May 1939 at her family home near Clarendon, TX, a knot which lasted until L.D's death in 2009 at the age of 95. Mary Lee taught elementary school in Texas and California for 30 years. The last years of her career were spent as a pioneer in teaching special education children. In 1979, in retirement, they moved to Olympia where their ministry continued at the United Churches of Olympia and Summit Lake Community Church. Mary Lee will be missed by her daughters, Eleanor Myers (Ronald Myers) of Aiken, SC, Camille Schulte (Dr. Terrence Schulte) of Olympia, WA; grandchildren, Christy Quinn, Jason Myers, Jeffrey Schulte, Molly Ogle, and Jacob Schulte; and seven great-grandchildren.
The Celebration of Life service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 21 at The United Churches of Olympia.
Please consider a gift to the McNall Scholarship Fund at The United Churches of Olympia or World Vision Children's Fund. Mary Lee's request was that attendees wear happy colors. Her favorites were pink and lavender.