Mary W. Ailor

Mary Wellman Ailor
June 8, 1920 – February 4, 2023
Mary W. Ailor, age 102, formerly of Cameron, Missouri passed away in her sleep at York General Hearthstone in York, NE on Feb 4th, 2023.
Mary was born June 8, 1920 in West Point, IA to Mary and Gerhard Wellman, the 4th of 6 children. She attended school in West Point at St. Mary's Catholic school, graduating in 1936. She then moved to Fort Madison, IA. where she completed Secretarial Training the following year at the Fort Madison Business College. She held several secretarial positions in Iowa and Missouri before settling in Cameron, MO. Included in those was a position in the new Dupont factory in Fort Madison which had just opened. She treasured those days and friends throughout her life.
Mary met Harold O. Ailor while working in Fort Madison. They were married on Sept. 11, 1945. The early years of the marriage found them in North Dakota, St. Louis, and Kansas City, before moving to Cameron. In Cameron, their family grew with the adoptions of Harriet and Robert. The family relocated to St. Joseph, MO in 1958 and the family was completed with the birth of their daughter, Mary Ellen. They returned to Cameron in 1961 to start what would be Ailor's Sundries.
As the children grew older and started leaving home, Mary returned to work. This time at the Ithaca Gun plant in Cameron. She worked there until the plant closed in 1986. When Mary lost Harold on Oct. 4, 1979, she kept herself busy with work, Church, OATS bus trips, and her bowling family. She was an avid KU basketball fan, loved her flowers and garage sales. After the Ithaca plant closing, Mary later worked for longtime family friends, the Koechner's, in the office of their construction company. She retired in 1994.
She is survived by: Sister, Rosie Freitag, Springfield, MO: son-in-law, Richard Bramble, Birmingham, MO; son, Robert Ailor (Kay), York, NE; daughter, Mary Ailor Watson (Scott), Lawrence, KS
Grandchildren: Hollie Bramble, Kansas City, MO; Nicole (Bramble) Payne, St. Joseph, MO; Maranda (Ailor) Stuhr (James), Lincoln, NE; Michael Ailor (Hillary), Firestone, CO; Thomas Ailor (Lindsay), Lincoln, NE.
Great Grandchildren: Nicholas Niven, Avery Payne, Kinley Stuhr, Rowan Stuhr, Ivy Ailor, Owen Ailor, Dean Ailor, Adaline Ailor.
Besides her parents and husband she was preceded in death by 3 older brothers: Herman, Andrew, and John Wellman, and sister, Geraldine Jacobstein; daughter, Harriet (Ailor) Bramble; and one grandson, Jonathan Ailor.
Mary was a long time member of St. Munchin's Catholic Church in Cameron, MO. Rosary will be prayed at 5:30pm and visitation will be from 6:00 until 8:00 pm on Feb. 22nd at Poland-Thompson Funeral Home in Cameron, and Funeral Services will be held at St Munchin's on Feb. 23rd at 10 am.
Burial in St. Munchin Catholic Cemetery.
The family would ask that any memorial donations be directed to:
St. Munchin Church- 301 N. Cedar St., Cameron, MO. 64429
Please note on your donation that it is In Memory of Mary.
Online condolences: www.polandthompson.com
Arrangements by Poland-Thompson Funeral Home, Cameron, MO.