Mary McDaniel

Mary was born on December 5, 1938 to Ernest D. and Etta Mae Ayers Donham. She grew up on Olvey Plantation in Tallulah, Louisiana, alongside her brothers and sisters. Over the years, she called several places home, including Alexandria and Slidell, Louisiana, before settling in St. Joseph following her retirement from Cleco.

Mary shared more than 50 years of marriage with her beloved husband, Harold V. McDaniel. Together, they built a beautiful life, raised a family, and shared countless memories. Their years together were an important part of the story of the family they created.

To her grandchildren, she was known as "Mamaw." It was a name that represented so much more than a grandmother; it was a place of comfort, unconditional love, and treasured memories. Mary took great joy in her grandchildren and the family that grew around her.

Mary found happiness in the things she loved most: reading a good book, tending to her flowers, participating in the local garden club, cooking sweets and candies from their vast pecan orchard, arts and crafts, puzzles and researching her family's genealogy. She had a genuine appreciation for family history and the connections that bound generations together. She and her husband were members of Newellton Baptist Church where they shared in fun, laughter and road trips with the Young At Heart Club. She was a proud long-time member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Anyone who met Mary would likely describe her the same way, in one word: sweet. She had a gentle spirit and a kindness that came naturally. She didn't have to do anything extraordinary to make an impression; it was simply who she was. Her family will remember her for her warm heart, her love of family, and the special way she made each of them feel loved.

The love Mary gave her family will live on in the stories they share, the traditions they carry forward, and the memories they will hold close. To so many, she will always be Mamaw, and there will never be another quite like her.

She is survived by her dedicated and loving children, Denise Boudreaux and her husband Gayle, Steve McDaniel and wife Elizabeth and Stacy McDaniel Sr. and wife Sandra; grandchildren, Christina Upshaw and her husband, TJ, Ashley Ouber and her husband, Eric, Kyle Landry and his wife, Lindsey, Joshua Landry and his wife, Angie, Michael McDaniel and his wife, Amanda, Stacy McDaniel Jr., Bradley Sheffield and Justin McDaniel and his wife Kaci, Amelia and Mason Baxley; many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren and her sister, Emma Jo Mehaffey, whom she shared a special bond with and loved dearly.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold V. McDaniel; her son, David McDaniel; her grandson, Sampre Landry; her parents, Ernest D. and Etta Mae Ayers Donham; and her siblings Roy, Jack, and Carl Donham, Jimmie Donham Mayo, Ray Ronald "Ronnie" Donham, and Ernestine Fountain.

A visitation will be held on November 4, 2026 from 9:00- 10:00 AM at Ourso Funeral Home, 13533 Airline Hwy, Gonzales, LA, 70737. The service will begin at 10:00 AM and interment will follow at Legion Memorial Cemetery, 1072-1092 LA 605, Newellton, LA, 71357.

She will be deeply missed and forever loved.