Mary Lee Blackwood

Mary Lee Richardson Blackwood, age 85, of Conover, NC, passed away on Saturday, October 21, 2017 at her home in Conover. Born October 20, 1932 in Ashe County, she was the daughter of the late Thomas Lilliard Richardson of Warrensville, and the late Nellie Eve Wood Richardson Brooks Ashley. Mary was the step-daughter of the late Joe Brooks of Lansing and the late Rev. Arthur Ashley of West Jefferson, NC.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husbands, Robert “Doyle” Hartsoe of Conover and James William “Tom” Blackwood of Conover; special uncle, Charles Richardson of Conover; two brothers, Jones Nathan Richardson of Newton and James Richardson of Lansing; a sister, Ruth Richardson Jones of Warrensville; and her son, Lanny Doyle Hartsoe of Conover.

Survivors include her daughter, Sharon Hartsoe and her husband, Ronald Armstrong of Conover; brother, Marvin Richardson of Newton; three grand-children, Robert Vega Cordero and wife Heather of Longview, Lydia Vega Cordero of Hickory, and Victoria Jackson of Conover; three great-grand-children, Angelica Mary Vega, A.J. Mora Vega, and Oliver “Ollie” Vega; special nephew Teddy Jones and wife, Hester of Conover; and numerous other nieces and nephews.

Mary graduated from Lansing High School in Lansing NC. She worked for Avon in Delaware, and Sprague Electric in Lansing, and Jackson Buff in Conover. She worked as a shipping clerk at Jackson Buff for 25 years. She was voted best dressed in high school and was a member of East First Street Baptist Church. She and her husband also were at one time tobacco farmers and store owners in Ashe County.

A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at Ashe Lawn Funeral Home Chapel in Jefferson, NC. The family will receive friends at Willis-Reynolds Funeral Home in Newton, NC on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.