Mary A, George

Mary George, 84, of Bayard, died Monday, March 1, 2004, at Regional West Medical Center.

Cremation was held at Sunset Memorial Park Crematory in Scottsbluff. Bayard Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mary was born April 16, 1919, at Brookfield, Mo., to James Claire and Marie (Hainsworth) McVay. In 1928, Mary moved with her family from Brookfield to Bridgeport. She received her education in Brookfield and Bridgeport, graduating from Bridgeport High School. After completing her high school education, she began a remarkable professional journey, combining her own college training with her chosen career; teaching. She taught in several rural schools in the Bayard/Bridgeport area before and during the years of WWII, always finding a semester here or there to continue her march toward that college degree.

She married W.L. 밪peed?George on Sept.1, 1940, in Bridgeport, and they made their home in Bayard.

After a 17-year break in her schedule to bring forth and raise three children, she returned to the elementary school classroom, this time in the Bayard school system. She also resumed her own educational pursuit, and in 1969, her persistence was rewarded. She received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Chadron State College.

Three generations of children would reap the benefits of this remarkable lady's love for teaching before she retired in 1990, more than 50 years after she had stepped in front of her first rural school classroom.

In her retirement years, Mary enjoyed doing volunteer work at the Chimney Rock Visitor Center, where she manned the main desk. She continued to discuss her favorite topic, Nebraska History, with all who visited the Center until failing health brought about her second retirement. Mary was a mainstay in the Bayard Presbyterian Church throughout her adult life.

She was active in all aspects of the life of the church, including teaching, singing and directing the choir, serving on the church board of elders, and even in consulting of the construction of the existing building with the contractor, her husband, Speed George. Eventually the Presbyterian congregation dwindled and the church was closed, but Mary cherished the memories of her service there. In recent years, the church building has been owned and operated by the Methodist Congregation.

Mary was a member of the Bayard Presbyterian Church, active in PEO Chapter EI, Delta Kappa Gamma, an Honor Society in Education, and in countless community projects in the City of Bayard. She was a most generous and loving wife, mother and grandmother, sharing all she had with those who loved her. She will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.

She is survived by her daughter Jamalee (Dan) Clark of Gering; sons, Tom George of Bayard, Randy (Brenda) George of Weston, Fla.; grandchildren, Jenny (Darin) Drown of Aurora, Colo., Jim (Rhonda) Clark of Aurora, Ashley and Michael George of Weston, Fla.; great-grandchildren, Colin and Mary Drown and Simon Clark, all of Aurora, Colo.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; sister Frances Godfrey; and brothers, James McVay and Tom McVay.

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