Mary Alene Aitson

Mary Aitson, 93 year old Woodward resident, passed away Friday, September 19, 2025 in Oklahoma City. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, September 27, 2025 in the Red Wolf Community Center in Carnegie, Oklahoma. Burial will follow in the Rainy Mountain Kiowa Indian Baptist Church Cemetery in Mountain View, Oklahoma. There will be a receiving of friends at the Billings Funeral Home Friday, September 26, 2025 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Arrangements are under the direction of the Billings Funeral Home.
Mary Alene (Rector) Aitson was born November 11, 1931, in Adair County, Oklahoma. Her parents were Rayburn and Gertrude Knight Rector. She was the middle child of ten children, and they all grew up on their mother's allotted land in Christie, Oklahoma. Mary attended Whitmire School through 8th grade and then graduated from Stilwell High School before earning a bachelor's degree from Northeastern Oklahoma State University, Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She met her husband, Lucius Weeks Aitson, there and they were married during their senior year on Valentine's Day.
Mary's first teaching assignment was at a rural school near Manhattan, Kansas, while Lucius was stationed at Ft. Riley, Kansas. After his discharge from the Army, they moved to Vici, Oklahoma where they both found teaching jobs. During the summer months they both attended Northeastern and earned their master's degrees. After nine years at Vici, they moved to Woodward, Oklahoma where she spent 38 years in the classroom - 37 years teaching 6th grade. Mary retired from Woodward Public Schools in 1993.
Mary was a Girl Scout Leader, T-Ball coach, taught Square Dancing to adults and children, 4-H Club leader, member of Woodward Education Association (WEA) and Oklahoma Education Association (OEA). Mary was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Kappa Kappa Iota, lifetime member of Woodward/Harper/Ellis Counties Oklahoma Retired Educators Association (OREA) where she served various offices for these organizations. She currently served as the auditor for the WoodmenLife Chapter, was a board member for the Green Cemetery Board and was a member of the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum in Woodward where she previously served on the board.
Retirement for Mary meant that she could pursue other interests. She would say she went back to her roots and learned to weave Cherokee baskets and that baskets became her side hustle. She participated in and received awards in various American Indian art markets and exhibits including Red Earth Festival, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kirkpatrick Gallery at the Omniplex, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Southern Plains Museum, Anadarko, Oklahoma; Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum; Woodward, Oklahoma and Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe, New Mexico. She spent a lot of time learning how to weave traditional honeysuckle baskets and buckbrush baskets with traditional dyes. Mary has her works displayed across Oklahoma in the Oklahoma Judicial Center, and Cherokee Nation Properties as well as her baskets being owned by collectors from across the world. Mary has received an abundance of awards for her basket weaving to include the Honored One from Red Earth in 2018 and the most recent distinguished designation of being named a Cherokee National Treasure from the Cherokee Nation. She was a beautiful basket weaver.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband Lucius Aitson; her parents Rayburn and Gertrude Rector; brothers: Ralph Rector (infant), Harold Rector, Clifford "Tip" Rector, Forrest "Benny" Rector, and Donald Rector; Sisters: Carol "Tootsie" Trickett, Marilyn Leach and two infant daughters; Richard and Clara Aitson (in-laws); brother-in-law Marland Aitson and his wife Doris Aitson; 3 Nephews: Rex Rector, Ronnie Trickett, and James Rector; 2 Nieces: Debbie Rector and Pam Kirksey; two daughters-in-law: Glenda Aitson and Tammy Aitson. Mary is survived by her two children: Michael Aitson, and Mechelle Aitson-Roessler and Chris Roessler son-in-law; special extended family of nieces and nephews Donna Nightingale, Ron Rector, Randy Rector, Charles Trickett, Jan Butcher, Jeff Rector, Steve Rector, Curt Rector, Leta Rector, Daryl Rector, Mark Rector, Marsha Davidson, Sherry Kimble, Trina Burdge, Bryan Rector, Brett Rector, David Leach, Tricia Kingfisher, Patricia Aitson, Clarice Roy and their families.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Plains Indians and Pioneers Museum with the Billings Funeral Home, 1621 Downs Avenue, Woodward, OK. 73801 accepting the contributions on behalf of the family.