Mary Alice Worley, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend passed away on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Newalla, OK. She was born on June 21, 1931, in Piggott, Arkansas, to Charles and Rosa Jones, one of nine siblings.
Mary was known for her unwavering kindness, sweetness, and love for her family. She served as a constant source of inspiration and stability in the lives of those around her.
She shared many cherished memories with Edgar Worley, her loving husband. One endearing recollection from their courtship days includes Ed riding his bike to Mary’s house. His father would go to retrieve him and take his bike apart, only to have Ed put the bike back together again just so he could see Mary once more. The pair were married in Piggott, Arkansas, when Mary was 17 years old on June 25, 1948. Mary was raised in Poplar Bluff where her father owned a saw mill. After marring Ed, they moved to Oregon where she started folding laundry for 25 cents a week and then started working as a cake decorator and Ed was a plaster while raising their family. They moved many times and loved to travel. When work became slow, they moved to Oklahoma where Ed was still working in the plastering business and she started working at a bakery in Del City. They became members at the Moose Lodge where they met many friends and loved to dance. They eventually moved to Meeker where they built a house on five acres. Mary often said their property was like a park. Several weddings were performed there; along with many family reunions. Mary worked as a cake decorator for many more years in Shawnee and after losing Ed, went to work at Braum’s where she spent 20 rewarding years. Her warm personality endeared her to countless customers who cherished her just as much as she did them. She also taught cake decorating classes at Gordon Cooper.
Outsideofwork,Maryfoundjoyincookingandwas particularly famous for her mouth-watering chicken and dumplings and delectable pecan pies. Her culinary skills extended beyond her own kitchen as she lovingly prepared meals for her family for Sunday dinners when the grandchildren were growing up. Her grandchildren remember her delicious dishes cooked with love and the feeling of warmth that surrounded those family gatherings. She took great pride in her role as a grandmother. Her dedication to creating special cakes for family celebrations remains a treasured memory for all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Edgar Worley; her parents, Charles and Rosa Jones; siblings, Edna Elliot, Lucile Mareschelle, Carl Jones, Retha Jones, Elma Jones, Jerry Jones; granddaughter, Marnie Boyce; and great grandchildren Emily Boyce and Adam McCutcheon.
Mary leaves behind a constellation of those she loved including her children, LindaWorley and Paula Fedash; siblings, James Jones, Charles Jones and wife Jane; grandchildren, Kimberly McCutcheon and husband Mack, Cory Watts and wifeApril, and Chris Watts; and great grandchildrenAndre Watts and wife MJ; Ashley Tabor and husband Glen, Bailee Boyce, Raven McCutcheon, Zachary Watts, and Aiyana Watts; great-great-grandson, Harrison Tabor, and an abundance of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A viewing for Mary was held on Tuesday, May 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Walker Funeral & Cremation Service. A funeral ceremony was held on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Walker FuneralChapel.Followingtheceremony,Marywillbe laid to rest next to her husband at Jamison Cemetery.