Mary Etta Sansbury

A native of New England, she moved to Oklahoma in 2003 and lived at Autumn House in Midwest City for eight and a half years.

She was born Mary Etta Leach on Sept. 24, 1918, in Wells, Maine, daughter of Arthur and Ruth (Gray) Leach, the second of four children. She is predeceased by three brothers, Chesley, Roy and Roland Leach.

She grew up in North Berwick, Maine, graduating in 1937 from North Berwick High School. She served as a driver in the US Army during World War II. In 1942 she joined the original women's service, then called the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), which later became the separate Women's Army Corps (WAC). She was discharged in 1946.

For many years she worked in a woolen mill, and later in greenhouses that grew carnations and roses for the commercial market. She worked in the packing room of Elliott Rose Co. in Dover, N.H., for 25 years, retiring at age 62 to pursue her many personal interests, among them swimming, reading and travel.

She traveled all over the mainland United States while in the Army. In retirement, among the places she visited were Germany, Italy, Holland, France, Canada and Bermuda. In 2006, she went to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II Memorial, along with the Women's Memorial at Arlington, Va., which officially registered her status as a female veteran of World War II and member of the historic WAAC.

She is survived by two daughters, Ruth Juhl and Pamela Sansbury, both of Midwest City, and son-in-law, Eugene Juhl; two granddaughters, Marcia Babin and husband Brian of Midwest City and Michelle Brown of McLoud; seven great-grandchildren, Brenna Rahrig and husband Gil of Edmond, Megan Fitzwilliam of Oklahoma City, Shannon Fitzwilliam of Midwest City, US Marines LCpl. Brandon Brown and wife Evie of Kailua, Hawaii, Courtney Holmes of Shawnee, Caitlin and Lani Brown of McLoud; and great-great-granddaughter Allie Brown of Shawnee.

Visiting hours will be 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, and a funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, at Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home, 8805 NE 23rd St., Oklahoma City. Flowers welcome. Donations in her memory may be sent to a charity of choice.