Mary Elizabeth Watters

**A Tribute to Mary Elizabeth Noble Watters**
Mary Elizabeth Noble Watters passed peacefully on June 8, 2025, having just
celebrated her 90th birthday, and having very recently marked her 70 year anniversary.
It was her way to the end to make things neat and orderly.
She was born in late-winter 1935, in tiny little Grand River, Iowa, as the second child
and oldest daughter of Robert Hale Noble and Nellie Beatrice Cornelison. And right
from the start, life threw some challenges at her.
Nellie was only 16 when she married Robert, who was twice her age. By the time Nellie
turned 23 she had 4 children under the age of 7 and she chose to walk away from her
family. It was pretty uncommon in the 40's for a couple to divorce, but even more
unusual was the children being raised by the father.
It was a tough life. It wasn't fancy by any means. The kids sometimes had mismatched
socks and there were stories of being the ones at school who were made fun of
because they looked like they could use a hot meal and a good scrub - but Mary never
let that trauma define her.
Mary's father realized he needed help, and he had two sisters, one never married, and
one was a widow who agreed to let them move in with them. So Mary and her family
moved from the farm to the town of Leon, Iowa. Mary loved the move, because she
never saw another snake. Their new home was a four-room house that now had 8
children, 3 adults, and 3 other borders.
My mom loved her aunts, Jessie and Irene, and they quickly became the moms to the
one who left. Mom leaned in. She learned how to clean, how to cook, and how to care
for others. That's where her servant heart formed, somewhere between the kitchen and
the laundry line.
And then one day, a preacher and his family moved to town to start a Nazarene Church.
They had a son, Obed. Quarterback. Homecoming king material. She was the queen.
And in a graduating class of 66 - 33 girls, 33 boys -it all felt very balanced, very neat.
And just like in the movies, the quarterback kissed the girl, and they started building a
life that would stretch across seven decades, with 5 children, 10 grandkids and 2 great-
grandkids and another great grandchild coming in September.
Mom and Dad married on Easter Sunday, 1955, after church, of course, and headed off
to Bethany, Oklahoma, to check out Bethany Nazarene College. Obed enrolled, and
Mary went to work as the church secretary at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene,
where she worked with pastors, Rev. E.S. Phillips and Lester Dunn - because there's
no one better at keeping a church in line than a young Iowa woman who already knew
how to manage a very large household.
Over the years, the family grew. Two years into the marriage and halfway through
college, they welcomed a daughter, Linda Sue, who everyone knows as Charlie or as
her grandkids call her Cha Cha. Then came Susan and Kathy, and finally twin boys,
Garry and Larry. And in between, they moved from Bethany back to Iowa, then back to
Bethany, and Mary rolled with it. Not just gracefully - purposefully.
In 1967, she took a job typing legislation at the Oklahoma State Capitol. We're talking
carbon paper days - twelve sheets deep. And you didn't want to mess up. She didn't. In
fact, she got so good, she could type a dozen perfect copies without a single correction.
Her hands knew what they were doing before a brain could even catch up.
She worked at the Andrews Davis law firm for 33 years, keeping the attorneys
organized and the clients calm. Mostly, it was keeping her bosses, Jim Davis and Lynn
Holloman, organized and calm. She thrived in a law firm that was a standout in the legal
community, and worked alongside great co-workers who became, and remained, dear
friends.
In 2003, she tried to retire, telling her Andrews Davis family at the retirement celebration
they gave in her honor that her life goal now was to avoid being seen in the lead story
on the 6 o'clock news.
However, she was never one to just kick up her feet. She eventually went to work at
Jack Petty's law office in Bethany. And when her daughter Susan and son-in-law Rick
opened The Bethany Law Center in 2011, Mary was right there with them. Even at the
age of 85, she was still going strong - until COVID hit and Susan made her retire. The
attorneys she worked for would say she was one of the best paralegals they ever
worked with. She didn't argue with them on that point.
But work, for Mary, was never the point. It was family. She was the kind of mother who
came home from a full day at the office, started laundry, set the table, prepared a simple
but great tasting meal, folded clothes, cleared dishes, and sewed clothes for her girls - by
hand, sometimes until after midnight. Then she got up by 6 am the next day and did it all
over again. No complaint, just a rhythm of love so steady, so sure, and so dependable.
And she didn't just love her own five children. When the first grandchild was born, she
became Mema to the entire family. When each grandchild was born, she showed up.
When someone needed a babysitter, she said yes. Always. She house-sat, kid-sat, dog-
sat, cat-sat, many times, and was never the type to act like it was a burden. She just did
these things because it was her family, her greatest joy.
The table in that same house in Bethany - bought back in 1966 - was her center of
operations. Children, grandchildren, and eventually great-grandchildren gathered there.
That table saw everything from Thanksgiving feasts to spontaneous Tuesday-night
meatloaf, but the best gift was that she cooked Sunday lunch every week, which
allowed the family to gather around each other weekly. And if something wasn't quite
right, Mary would fix it with whatever she had on hand. And it was always good. Her
signature dishes became known as Mema food. And Mema's food was better than
anything you could eat anywhere else. Even something as simple as her grilled cheese
sandwich was the best you ever had.
When there was a family birthday to be celebrated, she fixed the family members their
favorite meal and favorite dessert. In a very large family, she made everyone feel
honored and special. There will always be genuine arguments amongst us as to who
was Mema's favorite.
She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Obed Watters; her five children, Linda
"Charlie" Hibbard, Susan Martin (Rick), Kathy Watters, Garry Watters (Cheri), and
Larry Watters (Chrissy); ten grandchildren, Erin Hibbard (Brandon), Sean Hibbard
(Andrea), Cody Hibbard (Brandi), Ryan Martin (Toni), Mady Martin, Bailee Onspaugh
(Nick), Colton Watters (Ashton), Payton Watters, Alli Todd (Ryan), and Regan Watters;
and two great-grandchildren, Gavin and Gracie.
Mary is also survived by her beloved sister Betty (who, with some of Betty's sweet
daughters, went on no fewer than 13 cruises together). Mary also leaves behind a big
extended family of nieces, nephews, in-laws, and church friends who all knew - if you
needed a hand, Mary would be there.
She was the glue. The steady presence. The quiet faith. She lived not for applause but
for purpose. Not for glory but for grace.
And that, family and friends, is a life worth remembering.
(In Lieu of Flowers please consider donating to Cystic Fibrosis in honor of Mary's great-
granddaughter Gracie Lee: 4308 Grant Blvd; Ste A2/A3; Yukon. OK 73099)
Give.cff.org/oklahomacity