Mary Jane Thirsty

Mary Jane Thirsty was born on April 3rd, 1952 in Stilwell, OK, the daughter of Jackson Thirsty and Mary Sue Squirrel-Blackbird. She grew up and graduated from Stilwell High School in 1970. She then moved to Ada, OK and graduated from East Central University with her Bachelors in Environmental Sciences. In 1990, she attended Nursing School in Pontotoc Technology Center and graduated in 1991. She then went to work for Ballard Nursing Center from 1987 until 2016. She started a family and was the proud mother of three sons, Simon Thirsty, Seneca Colbert and Jesse Price. She enjoyed time spent cooking fry bread, scrambled eggs and salt meat, poke salat, and traveling weekends from Texoma to Sand Bass festival in Arkansas to Wildlife Safaris in Gentry. She enjoyed sewing and making quilts, going to Pow Wow’s, going to Mulberry Baptist Church and singing the old-time gospel music. She liked to go out and see her friends at the casino. She always maintained an open door policy, and you were always welcome at her table. She was quiet, respectful, welcoming and non-judgmental. Her health began to fade and she went home to her Lord and Savior on April 5th, 2025 following her 73rd birthday. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Nannie Manus and Joe Blackbird of Stilwell and Jim Squirrel of Stilwell. She also joins her Mom and Dad, her husband, two grandsons, Jonathan and Joshua Thirsty, and four great uncles, Jim, Joe, Benny and Timmy Squirrel.

Those left to cherish her memory include three sons, Simon Thirsty of the home, Seneca Colbert of Adad, OK, and Jesse Price and wife Ciara all of Tahlequah. She lives on in her two grandchildren, Shonda Marie Colbert of San Francisco, Tamara Colbert of Hanford, CA. She also leaves her three great aunts, Lucy Squirrel, Louis Squirrel, and Eliza Squirrel, and very special friends, Billy Cheater of Tahlequah, Justin Batt of Tahlequah, and Alan Linde of Welling, as well as a host of friends and loved ones too numerous to mention.

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon her. May she rest in peace.

Funeral services for Mary Jane Thirsty will be conducted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Mulberry Tree Baptist Church in Stilwell, OK, with Pastor Robert Fourkiller officiating. Her family will receive guests on Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 from 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM at Reed-Culver Funeral Home. She will be laid to rest at Mulberry Tree Cemetery in Stilwell, OK.

Pallbearers for Mary include Jesse Price, Alan Linde, Billy Cheater, Justin Batt, Mike Raider, and Travis Klotzke.