Mary M. Antone

Our beloved Mary March Antone has passed away on February 10, 2015, at the age of 82. She was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, on February 29, 1932, the daughter of Jacob Earl and Evelyn Pearson March. Very early in life Mary was taught the fundamentals of family devotion by her grandparents, Sarrah A. and Martin L. March, with whom she spent much of her childhood growing up in Choctaw. Mary was the fourth child in a family of eight children. She attended Capitol Hill High School and graduated from Choctaw High School where she met the love of her life, John Louis Antone. After graduation, she joined the workforce. John and Mary were wed on July 3, 1951, and the two of them began their lifelong journey of love and devotion. She is survived by her husband of 63 years and their three children, John (Judy) Antone II of Chesterfield, Mo.; Lily (Richie) Plass of Green Bay, Wisc., and Susan Maroney of Milwaukee, Wisc. Mary has seven grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren along with many nieces and nephews. She is survived by her two sisters, Patricia Mendes and Carol Graham, and is preceded in death by her mother and father and five brothers, Alfred, Richard, Kenneth, Frederick and Edwin, and her son-in-law James Maroney.

Mary became a professional seamstress early in her life and her talents allowed her to care for her family and provided her with an avenue to friendships throughout her lifetime. She was always willing to make clothes for those in need, to provide period clothing for award-winning doll collections, and to create beautiful Native American shawls for fundraising events of the Native American Oklahoma City Pow-Wow Club. With a strong devotion to children throughout her life, she was a Sunday School teacher, a volunteer for the public school system, a Cub Scout Leader and a Girl Scout Leader. Mary was very artistic. She participated in numerous arts and crafts shows and would lend her talents to making dinners for family and friends. She, with her husband John, opened their home to numerous foster children over the years. In her retirement years, Mary and John relocated to Chandler, Oklahoma, and owned and operated their own cattle ranch until their second retirement. They moved to St. Louis, Missouri, to be with family, where she remained for the duration of her life. Mary is now able to rest after a long battle with chronic illness. She will be forever loved and missed.

Memorial donations in honor of Mary Magdalene Antone may be made to: Bethesda Health Group Foundation, 1630 Des Peres Road, Suite 290, St. Louis, Mo. 63131-1800