Mary Ann Searles Mayfield Therkildsen

Mary Ann grew up in Liberal, Missouri and married Bill Mayfield in 1948. They had five children together, and divorced in 1967. Bill passed in 1998. Mary Ann raised her girls in Chillicothe, Illinois and supported her family as a cook and waitress in several Chillicothe and Peoria area restaurants. She completed her GED, then nursing training and received her nursing license in 1974. She was a nurse in the Total Care Ward at the Methodist Hospital in Peoria until meeting her second husband, Paul Therkildsen. They moved to New Mexico, married and lived in the Tijeras area, in the mountains outside Albuquerque. Paul was a professor of economics at the University of New Mexico. There she worked in the Veterans Hospital until their retirement to Eagle Rock, Missouri in 1993. Years later, they moved to their new dream home in Hammond, Louisiana. Paul passed in 2019. Mary Ann moved to NWA to be closer to family and has lived in Centerton since his death.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Isaac and Bessie Eythle Adams Searles; brothers, Isaac, Owen, James, Harry, and John; sisters, Jess, Zora Lou Fast and Margaret Davis; her first husband, Marvin (Bill) Mayfield; sons, Joseph and Richard Mayfield, and her second husband, Paul Therkildsen.

She is survived by her three daughters, (Mary) Becky, husband Jim Pim of Shell Knob, Missouri, Jerri Mayfield of Holiday Island, Arkansas, and Lisa, husband Don Norton of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; grandson, Sterling Arft, his wife Taralyn; and great-grandchildren, Irelyn and Bruin Arft.

Mary is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews, in the Northwest Arkansas and Southwest Missouri area, as well as sisters in law, Clara Belle (Geisler) Searles of Iantha, Missouri and Delores (Clubb Hinton) Searles of Darmstadt, Illinois. Additionally, she is also survived by Paul’s children, Paul Jr, Guy, Grant, and Christy.

Per her request, Mary and Paul’s ashes will be scattered at the Gulf of Mexico, where she and Paul enjoyed vacationing.

Many thanks to family and friends, as well as Elite Hospice for their support during her recent health issues.

No services are scheduled at this time.