MARY O'LEARY

Mary Katherine Lawrence O'Leary of La Conner died on Saturday, December 1, 2007. Mary was born in Cameron, Texas on May 18, 1924, the daughter of Mary Elizabeth McLane and Walter Hayden Lawrence.

Mary was a 1942 graduate of Yoe High School in Cameron, Texas, where she was a member of the Yoe High School Marching Band. She would often tell her children and grandchildren about playing the French horn or carrying the standard for the band while practicing in the hot Texas summers wearing regulation wool uniforms. She worked in the office of McLane Wholesale Grocers where all of the family members started at the bottom she also worked at her uncle Emory Camp's Insurance Agency. Mary would tell her family of the great times she had with her friends, Mary Jo, Hazel Ruth and Loretta growing up in Cameron, of picking wild grapes out in the country, swimming in the Little River, ever wary of too familiar cottonmouths. She would also tell of growing up in the Depression, trading her WWII ration cards for Milky Way bars, going down to her Father's ice house to pick out watermelons and of sitting in the corner "to think about things" when she told her brother he could jump off the garage roof with an umbrella and fly. He tried, broke his arm and she did sit for a good long time. She attended Tyler Commercial College in Tyler, Texas, as did S/S M. P. O'Leary of the Army Signal Corps. He would stand with his buddies at the bottom of the stairs waiting for the pretty redhead to come out of class so he could chat her up. They were married on May 11, 1943 in Tyler, Texas. She was a soft spoken, modest woman but those who knew her well, knew she had a temper to match her fiery red hair and a steel will. Usually one good long look from her green eyes could control her daughters, but never her husband. He often called her his "Honey Bunch", his "Little Yellow Rose of Texas" which would infuriate her immensely.

Mary Katherine, or Kitty as she was known to her friends, came to La Conner with her husband and small daughter on October 31, 1945 following his discharge from the Army. They arrived in La Conner with $5.00 in their pocket and relied upon Mike and Maxine O'Leary for a place to live until Jake Vaughn rented them a small apartment on the alley behind his home on Fourth Street on the hill. Together Mary and her husband put the Puget Sound Mail back on it's feet. She worked with her husband on press days and they raised their family in the home now occupied by their grandson, David and his family. Kitty was a wonderful cook, known for her blistering hot spaghetti sauce, fried pies and cake decorating, which she learned from her mother who as a divorced woman during the Depression, she supported her family by baking enchiladas, homemade ice cream cranked in the back yard by the gang of neighbor kids. She was raised on Texas football as her Father was a Texas A&M graduate and Aggie games were never missed. She knew and loved her football and the Aggies, Cowboys, Longhorns, Notre Dame, Huskies and Seahawks were faithfully watched. She loved Blue Peaches and Homemade Vanilla ice cream and she always stocked up before Blue Bell Creameries of Brenham, Texas stopped producing it in September.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cameron, Texas, whose founding members included her maternal and paternal great grandparents and grandparents.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Maurice Patrick "Pat" O'Leary and their infant daughter Rebecca Ann O'Leary. Her parents, Mary Elizabeth McLane and Walter Hayden Lawrence of Cameron, Texas. Her brother, Walter Hayden Lawrence and his wife Josette of Austin, Grandparents Robert and Katherine Paden McLane and Charles Walter and Mary Hayden Lawrence all of Cameron, Texas.

She is survived by her daughters, Mary Margaret Lam (James) and Sarah Katherine Cram (Herbert); her grandchildren, Mary Alice Lam Duff (Edward), Christopher McLane Cram, James Hayden Lam (Corrine) and David Lawrence Cram (Lynette); her great-grandchildren, Ryan Patrick and Mary Katherine Stahl of Austin, Texas, Abigail Elizabeth Snyder (Brett) of Anacortes, Margaret Ann and Anna Eliza Arms of San Antonio, Vivian Rose Cram of Mount Vernon, Hayden Christopher and Emilia Jacqueline Lam of Mount Vernon, Sarah Margaret, Katherine McLane, Charles Joseph and Rachel Chambers Cram all of La Conner; great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Ann Snyder of Anacortes; her sister-in-law, Maxine O'Leary of La Conner; her much loved nieces, Maureen O'Leary Harlan (Mit) of La Conner, Kathleen O'Leary Thurmond (Joe) of Burlington, Josette Lawrence Bahler (David) and Paulette Lawrence Epstein (Josh) of Austin, Texas, Michele Lawrence Barry of Oklahoma City and their families; her cousins, Robert M. Johnson (Joyce) of McLean, Virginia, Drayton McLane (Elizabeth), Joann McClaren, Katherine Dimmitt, James Camp (Pat) of Texas and their children all of Texas.

She is also survived by her husband's son Patrick R. O'Leary of California and his son Michael Patrick O'Leary, whose whereabouts are unknown; Gladys Shutt, her good friend formerly of La Conner; Jo Mitchell of Jo's Healing Hands who gave her so much comfort; Patricia Bates of Sedro Woolley, her Visiting Angel who cared for her with loving tenderness and whom she loved as a daughter and her half siblings, Todd Lawrence and Nancy Lawrence Adams.

The family is indebted to the loving care provide by Dr. Robert Rieger of Island Family Physicians, Alicia and all of the staff who were so kind and patient in caring for her; Visiting Angels and Jacque for the help provided during her last years; Skagit Hospice and to Ole, Leticia, Kim, Valerie, Lisa, Steve, Janet, Teri, Toni, Yvonne, Amanda, Christie, Tammy, Samantha, Karen and the rest of the staff, caregivers and nurses from Rosario Assisted Living, Mount Baker Unit who provided care and comfort to her and her family.

Family services were held and she was buried in Maple Leaf Cemetery in Oak Harbor next to her husband and infant daughter. A memorial service will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery, Cameron, Texas at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials may be made to the La Conner Volunteer Fire Department Association P.O. Box 581 La Conner, WA 98257, Skagit Hospice Foundation P.O. Box 1376 Mt.Vernon, WA 98273 and the First Presbyterian Church of Cameron, Texas.

You may offer your condolences to Kitty's family online by signing her online guest register at www.kernfuneralhome.com.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Kern Funeral Home of Mount Vernon.