Mary Werley Whetstone

On Wednesday June 8, 2022 at 4:01 am, Mary Alice Werley Whetstone (lovingly known as Mar Mar) earned her angel wings and entered the gates of Heaven. Mar Mar left peacefully surrounded by her loving family. She was one month away from her 88th birthday. Although our family struggles with her passing; we remind ourselves that she is finally free from pain, hurt, and suffering after four tiring months battling complications from a life altering stroke.

Mary (Mar Mar) was born July 9, 1934 in Paris, Texas to Leamon Raymond Werley (Jack) and Alice Claire Woolf. Mary was the 5th of 9 children. She graduated Crowell High School, attended nursing school and then worked as a nurse. She married Wilbur Lee Whetstone August 18, 1956 in Charleston, SC. Mary and Lee had four children, Ricky Lee, Deborah Kay Whetstone Parsons (Mike), Vicki' Lynn and Mark Wayne Whetstone (Lisa) as well as grandchildren Robert (Robby Beanie), Ashlie (Ashey), David (Dr. Baby Davey), Benjamin (Benji), Victoria (My baby) and great grandchildren Sage and Aiden

We are eternally grateful she is finally free and at peace with our Lord, her two babies, Ricky and Vicki', and her husband Lee. We rejoice in knowing that she is also reunited with her parents (Alice and Jack Werley) brothers (Raymond, Jimmy Dean, Denton Ray) as well as sisters (Geneva Werley Haire, Peggy Werley Carroll and Rose Marie Werley Shultz). She has two remaining siblings, her brother, Donald Werley and sister, Carylon Werley Thompson as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

To have known our Mar Mar was truly a gift as she was and will always irreplaceably be “one in a million.” Her heart was full of abundant love, joy, sincerity, selflessness, Faith, humility, strength, bravery, and compassion. Mar Mar was a strong woman yet no one loved like she did. She was simply one of a kind and a woman we aspire to live like and to make proud as she looks over us from the Lord’s paradise. We feel certain that she is in paradise as Mar Mar was a woman of strong faith. Church played a very important role in her life for many years. When physically attending church became more of a challenge, she began watching services on television and she specifically loved watching Joel Osteen. She loved his sermons and his humor which she would share both with her family. Mar Mar set a priceless example of always praying before meals and when times were difficult she would say to “pray and give it to God.” And if there was uneasiness, she would say “Just be happy and love one another.”

Nothing made her happier than her family. Nothing… and one way she showed that love was through her cooking. She was an AMAZING cook. No one could pass up a dinner invitation which normally consisted of down home southern cooking with a multitude of sides and of course homemade desserts. Food was her love language and she showered us with it. She was not only an amazing chef, she was an amazing grandmother, mother, sister, but additionally a friend to anyone and everyone she met.

We will miss her sweet voice, warm hands, soft touch, long voicemails, and precious advice. We will miss playing cards with her (especially Phase 10), having fun slumber parties at her home, watching her favorite game shows and sappy hallmark movies, making jokes about Trump, (but as she called him “Trunk”… yes she was a Democrat), having her home cooked meals and desserts, reading People magazine (“Peoples” per Mar Mar-to hear the inside celebrity scoop), working her crossword puzzles and sipping on one of her favorite drinks (ice cold water, Dr. Pepper or sweet tea-no lemon but a straw please), and listening to her stories. Especially dear were the stories of Grandpa Lee and Missy Susan. Oh how she loved Missy Susan and all dogs in general but especially, Missy Susan, Doug,Tigey, Sam, Duchess, Lakin, Calahan and Brielle. Mar Mar looked forward to and loved having great grand doggie visits! When Victoria’s dog Brielle (Bri) would come for a visit, Mar Mar always made sure she had ice cold water for her… you know that is how dogs prefer it too! One recent priceless memory is when Ashlie snuck her little dog Lakin into the nursing facility for a visit. No doubt that made her day and brought Mar Mar much happiness and joy.

Mar Mar loved having company and she took incredible pride in her home… which was always perfect. When you met her, she was put together from head to toe. as she took pride in her appearance as well. Her clothing was always pressed to a T. No doubt that she had mad ironing skills! Wrinkles were something you earned as you aged but were not allowed on clothing. We laugh and cherish the memories we have yet heartbreak still remains. Thankfully comfort and reassurance can be found by turning to scripture:

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” John 16:22

Before Mar Mar passed, we asked her to please show us that she is watching over our family; and that she did. When we arrived home from the hospital, birds were singing loudly and the sky was light after an intensely dark night... Mar Mar had painted the sky red, yellow, pink, purple, and orange. We most definitely felt her presence.

There are SO many things we will miss, memories we will cherish, and moments we will never forget.

Her family can truly say that she was and is loved from the bottom of their hearts and celebrate that she is now free, whole, happy and able to give her love to ones she has missed for so long. We thank the Lord for the certainty of being together again one day and the blessing and comfort of knowing Mar Mar will be looking over all of us. Until that time, we will always honor her and do our best to make her proud. Rest easy our beautiful angel. We love you.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.wilsonfuneralservices.com for the Whetstone family.