Mary Etta McClary

It is with deep regret and profound sorrow that we sadly announce the passing of Mary Etta McClary, age 89, of Kingstree, SC, who passed away on September 9, 2019, at MUSC- Health, Florence Medical Center in Florence, SC.

Funeral service for Mary Etta McClary was at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 14, 2019, at the William N. Redmond Memorial Chapel, Redmond-Richardson Funeral Home, 104 North Brooks Street, Kingstree, SC.  Evangelist Le'Roy Epps provided the eulogy, and the interment followed at White Oak Cemetery, White Oak Road, Lake City, SC.

Life Reflections

For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of  righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  II Timothy 4:6-8     

      Mrs. Mary Etta McClam McClary, daughter of the late Vance McClam and Eliza Durant McClam-Pouncy, was born in Florence County, South Carolina on November 15, 1929.  She was the “knee baby” of sixteen siblings.

      When Mary’ s father died in 1942, she anguished at the hard work of her Mother to sustain the family which left an indelible impression on her young mind to take control of her life.  She was the daughter of farmers and share-cropper parents– just one generation removed from slavery.

     Following the footsteps of many of her brothers and sisters, Mary headed north at an early age in pursuit of better work and wages. “I figured if it was no better, it couldn’t be any worse,” she would later say regarding the quality of life for Blacks in the South.  In the mid-seventies, she settled in Paterson, New Jersey where her eldest sister, Taska Simmons, and family resided.  Mary Etta, affectionally called “Aunt Mammie”, still determined to be an agent of change, she became a homeowner and entrepreneur.  In spite of humble beginnings and with only a 7th-grade education, she left a legacy to be proud of – she was a warrior of determination.

     Mary Etta was a member of the Deliverance Holy Tabernacle in Paterson, New Jersey, under the leadership of Pastor Walter Scott. There, she served on the Mother’s Board. She retired from the North Jersey Development Training Center.  In 2014, Mary decided that it was time to relocate back to Kingstree, South Carolina.

      Mary Etta was married to the late John Wesley McClary of Greeleyville/Kingstree, South Carolina. To this union, three children were born: Mary Frances, John, and Vern.  However, the couple eventually separated and Mary Etta returned north making her home in New York. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her two sons.

     On Monday morning, September 9, 2019, Mary transitioned to her Eternal Home leaving to mourn: a loving daughter, Mary Frances McClary of Astoria, NY; two daughters-in-law, Emily McClary and Barbara McClary both of Paterson, NJ; four grandchildren: Angelina (Melvin) Porter of Paterson, NJ; Jason S. McClary of Atlanta, GA; Keijuan McClary and Jaleesha McClary, all of Paterson, NJ; two great-grandchildren, Jamirah Porter and Isaiah Porter both of New Jersey; a special niece, like a sister, Ivery Dell Staggers of Kingstree, SC; a host of other nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.