Mary Elizabeth Straub

Mary Elizabeth (Cory) Straub of San Bernardino, CA, passed on March 5th, 2026, after a long and adventurous life.
Born on December 20, 1934 near Arriba, Colorado, she was daughter to Fleet and Ruby (Walters) Cory. She was the eldest sister to (Ruth) Maxine (Thatcher), Alice (Williams) and Pearl (Lewin). After graduating high school, Mary worked for the FBI in Washington DC, then returned to Idaho for a few years. At the request of Paster Ray Straub, Mary became a secretary for the Church of God (7th Day) in Southern California. Shortly after, Mary met Ray’s brother, Nathan, and the two of them began a long-distance relationship, as Nathan lived in Lodi, CA. Soon, they were married. Nathan became a paster, too, and the couple moved many times during their marriage, including Missouri, Canada, Oregon and California. They had two daughters, Leslie and Colleen.
Mary provided child care during services for the Church of the Nazarene in Bloomington, CA. She began her long career as secretary for the Presbyterian Church in 1973. Nathan and Mary divorced in 1974 and she moved to San Bernardino.
Mary played the piano and organ for church services. She was not one to be idle! She enjoyed crochet, embroidery, sewing and cross-stitch. She walked to work most days and hiked when given the opportunity at on outing or camp. She also created the food bank program at the church, where she picked up, divided and organized the food for monthly distribution.
Mary enjoyed travelling and was able to go on many adventures. She preferred to travel by car, so she could “see the sights.” She did fly, however, and was able to travel to Alaska and Hawai’i, as well as Egypt and Israel.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Fleet and Ruby, and her sister, Maxine. She is survived by her sisters Alice and Pearl, daughters Leslie and Colleen (Joe), granddaughters Kassidy (Adam) and Jackie, grandson John, great-granddaughter Rebecca, great-grandsons Connor and James, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be held on March 30 at 11:00 a.m. at Green Acres Cemetery, 11715 Cedar Avenue, Bloomington, CA, followed by a graveside service.