We are here today to celebrate the life of Mary Gilkey, lovingly known as Mom, Grandma, Granny, Sister, Aunt Mary. She danced her way to heaven on June 30, 2017. She is proceeded in death by her baby daughter Nancy Jo who passed away at 2 years old. She leaves behind her loving husband of 69 remarkable years, Tom, her daughter Sandi and husband Hershell, her son Randy and wife Marlene and son Terry and his wife Melba. She also leaves her sweet little brother Cloyd Allen. Mary and Tom have 7 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 11 great great grandchildren and 2 on the way! She also has a host of loving relatives who will miss her greatly.

Mary Ellen Williams was born on December 4, 1929 in Pangburn, Arkansas to Oliver Theopolis and Ora Williams. She was one of 22 children and the next to the last born. Her father was a jack of all trades and would sharpen knives for town folks and make sohrgam to sell. The family lived off what they could hunt, fish or trap. Her father fished in small streams or rivers to feed the family. Mary worked in the fields along side her siblings though she didn't care much for the farm work. She once told a story of her being the fields and her brother wanting her to carry a bushel of corn to the house. When Mary ever so gently declined his offer and walked back towards the house, he threw an ear of corn at her and hit her right in the back of the head. She said it didn't change her mind so he must not have thrown it hard enough because she kept walking to the house and did not carry that corn home.

Her mother passed away when Mary was 11 years old leaving she and her younger brother Cloyd Allen to be raised by their older siblings and their father. When Mary was 18 years old she was working at a hospital as a nurse's aide for Tuberculosis patients in Boonville, Arkansas. She and a couple of friends went to a nearby cafe when a handsome soldier and his brother walked in. The 2 boys offered to drive the girls back up the hill to home. Mary had a pretty green dress on that day and firey red hair. Tom said she was such a knockout he couldn't resist getting to know her better. The girls accepted the offer and Mary and Tom were left in the car by the themselves to visit and the rest is history. Tom left soon after to go back to the Air Force. He soon wrote a letter to Mary's Dad asking his permission to marry her even though he had never officially met him. Oliver agreed. Tom then wrote a letter to Mary asking for her hand in marriage. The letter said "Will you marry me? Please write YES or NO in big letters and return to me". Soon after he received a letter in the mail that said "YES" in big bold letters. The two were married on Tom's 20th birthday, June 9, 1948. Soon after Tom met Oliver for the first time. Sandi was born the next year.

After Tom left the service, the family moved back to Pangburn, Arkansas where Randy was born. Tom worked as a mule skinner and Mary took care of the babies. A couple years later they moved to San Antonio, TX where Nancy and Terry were born. Mary stayed home caring for the family while Tom worked various jobs throughout the years. Supper was on the table every night when Tom got home from work and the kids knew when he pulled up that it was time for dinner.

Mary worked as a cook occasionally throughout the years and was an excellent cook. She was best known for her chocolate sheet cake (which no one has yet to master), her spaghetti and too many other dishes to list. She was gifted at cooking for a large crowd. She rarely missed church and was often the camp cook at church camps that her kids and grandkids attended.

She loved playing Dominoes, going camping and gardening. She made beautiful quilts and enjoyed doing it. She was quite the cut-up at times. Take for instance the bag of pictures she has accumulated over the years of Joanna sleeping. She kept these pictures "just in case she needed them for anything". Hashtag granny blackmail. If anyone ever finds those pictures, Joanna would like them returned to the rightful owner. Mary would laugh and her whole face would turn red when she got tickled while trying not to laugh out loud.

She had a car accident several years ago and her health began to decline at that point. She has always loved babies and told Sandi one day that she just wished she had a baby to hold. Sandi collected Ashton Drake dolls and brought her a "baby" to hold. She even brought one for Cloyd Allen but Mary felt like she would take better care of both babies so she took them both and loved Bucky and Jane like they were her own. They went almost everywhere with her. She was a good Mama and a good Grandma.

She welcomed new spouses or step children into the family with open arms and they became part of the family immediately. She also loved her nieces and nephews like they were her own.
Thank God we had her for as many years as we did. Almost 88 years. Not many can say that. Not many can say that they were married for 69 years to the same person. That is a love affair not many can speak of. Her generous, gracious, sweet heart will be missed but we will see you again soon in that big, beautiful kingdom in the sky.

Viewing will be 12 Noon til 8PM, Sunday, July 2, 2017, family will be receiving guests from 5PM to 7PM, Sunday evening at Moore's Southlawn, 9350 E. 51st, Tulsa, OK. Funeral service will be 10:00 A.M., Monday, July 3, 2017 at Southwood Baptist Church, 10110 E. 41st, Tulsa, OK. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233