Mary Ella McGovern

McGovern, Mary Ella

Mary Ella McGovern, 91, of Warwick St., Portland, died peacefully on Wednesday, July, 23, 2014, at her home with her loving family by her side.

Mary was born in Muskogee, Okla., on Sept. 2, 1922, the daughter of Dan and Mary Dallas Hall. She attended local schools and graduated from Central High School in Muskogee in the class of 1940.

At the age of 18, Mary moved to Washington D.C., to start a job she obtained via mailed application. Mary worked as a Stenographer at Military Intelligence Service. Her office was the first to locate in the newly completed first wing of the Pentagon. On Aug. 26, 1945, she married the love of her life James H. McGovern. Shortly after their marriage she and James moved to Maine, where Mary's full time job was raising their ten children. In 1974, James enrolled Mary in a business class at the University of Maine Portland, Gorham. She went on to earn a Certificate degree in Secretarial Studies. She later went to work at Maine Medical Center as an Admission Clerk retiring in 1986.

She was a long time communicant of St. Joseph's Catholic Church.

She was an active member of the "Club," a woman's group of family and friends that started to meet monthly just after World War II and continued for over 60 years.

In her spare time, Mary enjoyed sewing, knitting, embroidery and reading.

After 60 wonderful years of marriage, Mary was predeceased by her husband, James in 2005. She is survived by three daughters, Mary Sue Stonebreaker, Portland; Katie and her husband, Peter Keniston, South Portland; and Ann Marie and her husband, James Boisvert, Scarborough; seven sons, James D. and his wife, Bernadette McGovern, Green Bay, Wis.; John T. and his wife, Jean McGovern, Portland; Michael and his wife, Kathy McGovern, Portland; Philip F. McGovern, Portland; Joseph R. and his wife, Rebecca, Stowe, Vt.; Terrance H. and his wife, Joellen McGovern, Scarborough; and Stephen G. and his wife, Mary McGovern, Wilbraham, Mass.; 33 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; along with many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held on Sunday, July 27, 2014, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Conroy-Tully Crawford South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway. Prayers will be recited on Monday, July 28, 2014, at 9:15 a.m. at the funeral home followed by a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Stevens Avenue, Portland, Maine. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Broadway, South Portland. On line condolences may be expressed at www.ctcrawford.com.

Those who wish may make contributions in Mary's Memory to the St. Vincent DePaul Soup Kitchen, 307 Congress St., Portland, Maine.