Mary Dow Hasty

Mary and her family lived without running water or electricity the majority of her childhood. Their water came down the mountain, into a creek, and fed into a springhouse. Their electricity was wired to one location in the living room ceiling during the mid 1930's. One day she came home from school and there it was! The light-bulb that was hung months before shined bright. The modern inventions of the day didn't include a bathroom at her home. Her family continued to use the out-house for a while longer.

She attended a one-room school house the first eight grades of her education; finishing and graduating high school in the town of West Jefferson. In NC High School education ended with the completion of the eleventh grade. She didn't care for Algebra or Geometry; she enjoyed History and Government and loved English and Literature.

After high school graduation in 1941 she followed her sister Irene to Detroit, MI and resided with Irene's in-laws. She began her working career in the big city at a warehouse center for drugstores.

During WWII she met Virgel Hasty in Detroit. He was there attending Engineering school by order of the US Navy. Their courtship continued after the war and they married March 1, 1947.

Five of her seven siblings made the Detroit area their permanent home. Her brothers and sisters were as loving and caring as she was. All her brothers and sisters have preceded her to be with the Lord except one. Mary's youngest brother Gary resides in a nursing home in northern Michigan.

Mary and Virgel raised their two children, Nancy and Randy, in the Detroit suburbs. Their life continued there until 1988 when Mary retired from Hudson's Dept. store. At this time both she and Virgel were retired and moved to Chandler, AZ. Since coming to AZ Randy and his wife Pat have given Mary and Virgel three grandchildren; Stephen, David, and Emily.

FDR was the only President Mary knew through her 21st birthday. Many times she heard FDR's fireside chats on her Uncle Will's radio.

In the 1930's and 40's the same radio station in this rural area of North Carolina announced the local obituaries at 9 a.m. each day. This custom continues to this day.

Mary's obituary was announced on the radio yesterday, followed by the 'Thought for the Day'. The radio hour was completed with gospel music.