Mary Ommen Porter Bracey

Mary Lavonne Ommen Porter Bracey passed away peacefully on May 19, 2022. She was born September 26, 1928 to William and Harriet Ommen in Livingston County, Illinois. She grew up on a farm and helped with many chores. She remembered driving a tractor in the field as a child with blocks placed on the pedals so she could reach them during a time when so many men were at war. She has very fond memories of spending Sunday afternoons in Illinois with her siblings, grandparents and cousins. She loved and always missed her family so much. She was preceded in death by two husbands, Edward Porter and James Bracey; two son-in-laws, Kurt and Marshall. She is survived by three siblings, Helen Stahl, Bill Ommen (Joyce) and Stan Ommen (Alice); daughters, Linda Lyman, Pam Woltz (Robert), and Rae Wilson; 16 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren. She graduated from Tripoint High School in 1946 and was married to Edward Porter in 1948. They lived in Pontiac, Illinois until 1958 when they moved to Petersburg, Virginia. After the death of her first husband, she married James Bracey and moved to Franklin, Virginia where she lived until 2008. After the death of James she moved to Richmond, Virginia. While in Pontiac, she was a busy mom of three and worked as a farmer's wife, making meals for the workers, cultivating a large garden and canning produce for the upcoming year. After moving to Virginia she worked multiple jobs - she was a bookkeeper at a bank, a manager of an apartment complex, a real estate agent, and assisted her husband, Ed, with keeping the books for his business. She was active in local churches in each location where she made many friends. She especially enjoyed singing in the choir, was a deacon at Franklin Christian Church, and later in life she enjoyed crocheting prayer shawls for others. The family will receive friends on Monday, May 23 from noon to 1pm at Woody Funeral Home. A funeral service will begin at 1pm. Interment will be private. The family would like to thank Mary's caregivers from Jan's Helping Hands, Matasha, Stephanie, Anita, Adelaide, Rachel and Janell, for their compassion and loving care.