Mary Emma Shelton

Mary Dye Shelton of Memphis passed away September 13, 2024 at the age of 90. Mary was born in Rogers Springs, Tennessee on May 4, 1934, the second child of Connie and Vera Dye. Her family moved to Bartlett, Tennessee when Mary was 16. She graduated from Bartlett High School.

In 1954 she met and married the love of her life, Neal Shelton. They met at the gas station where he worked. They fell in love quickly and married that September. Their marriage was the type of marriage that you usually only see in Hollywood and in fairy tales. They were head-over- heels in love until Neal passed away in April of 2005 after over 50 years of marriage. She missed him every day until her passing.

Mary and Neal had two sons, Murry and Keith, and devoted their lives as young adults to raising their sons providing an incredibly happy and loving home. They were remarkable examples with their character, honesty, faith, love, forgiveness and compassion. They were incredible parents that their sons were unbelievably fortunate to have.

Mary worked at times as a bookkeeper and office manager as well as being a stay-at-home Mom.

After their sons were gone, Mary and Neal became involved heavily in the local square dance community and spent a few decades going to meetings and dancing every week. Through square dancing they made many of their closest lifelong friends.

Mary was an avid seamstress who loved to sew. She even made her own square dance dresses. After her friends saw how wonderful her dresses were that she had made, many begged her to make dresses for them, so she did.

Mary and Neal loved to travel. The girl who grew up with very modest means, as an adult got to travel all over the USA and the world. She went to over 30 states including Alaska and Hawaii several times. She also toured all over Europe and the Caribbean. The last 20 or so years of Neal’s life, they traveled to the Gulf coast for the entire month of September. They invited many friends and family members to join them every year at the beach during these stays. Their only rule was the last week of September, everyone else had to go home. That week was just for the two of them to be alone together.

Mary loved having her family around. It was her great joy to have her house filled with the conversation and laughter of her sons and her grandchildren.

Mary was a devoted Christian and worshipped at Stillwater Baptist Church. Over her life she was a Sunday School teacher and she also sang in the church choir. As her declining heath began to limit her ability to attend church, she still stayed in contact with her ladies’ Sunday school class and missed seeing them dearly.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Neal and by her brothers Max and James and her sisters Gladys and Greta. She is survived by her sons Murry and Keith, her grandchildren April, Marc, Kyle, Ella and Maddie, and her great-grandchildren Madison, Cameron and Hendricks.

She is gone from us, but her spirit of kindness and love will live on with us in our hearts.

A visitation for Mary will be held Friday, September 27, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119. A funeral service will occur Friday, September 27, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM, 5599 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119. A committal service will occur Friday, September 27, 2024 from 3:00 PM to 3:15 PM at Memphis Memory Gardens, 6444 Raleigh Lagrange Rd, Memphis, TN 38134.