Mary was 8 years old when she started school in Matador, TX in 1929. In the 1930’s her dad became the jailer and they moved into the Motley County Jail. She graduated from Motley County School with the Class of 1940. In 1943, Mary worked for the Matador Tribune in the front office. When WWII started, she
moved to work in the “back shop” to help publish the paper. In the summer of 1944, she moved to Grandfalls, TX and worked in the Sunbeam Grocery Store, managed by her sister and brother-n-law. This is where she met Jack Crider. On August 19, 1945 they were married. They lived in Grandfalls until 1954 when they moved to Odessa.
Mary was a homemaker and worked for the Ector County Library from 1969 until 1988. She was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Colonists, The National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century, and The National Society United States Daughters of 1812. For years she was active in the Permian Basin Genealogical
Society and held various offices within the society.
Mary is survived by her daughter Donna Kirkland of Odessa; son David Crider and wife, Nancy of Roswell, NM; son-in-law Steve Nance of Barksdale; grandchildren Koby Kirkland and wife, Catherine of Mobile, AL; Chris Hafer and husband, Keith of Odessa; Wayne Watters and wife, Meliah of Odessa, TX; Daniel Watters and wife, Nancy of Camp Wood, TX; and Shelly Falcon and husband, David of Montell,
TX; great-grandchildren Ben and Sam Kirkland, Karli Terry, Megan Young, Preston Watters, Ozzie Watters, Abbey De Leon, Cres Falcon and Shania Dale Falcon; and three great- great -grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jack Crider, her sisters Opal Fulkerson and Lila Meador, her brother Burrell Tipton, her daughter Dale Crider Nance and son-n-law Ken Kirkland.
Visitation will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Saturday, July 18, 2020 at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home in the chapel.
Graveside services will be held at 10:00 am on Sunday, July 19, 2020 at Monahans Memorial Cemetery, in Monahans, TX with Reverend Jimmy Braswell officiating.
The family wishes to express our sincere thanks to all her caregivers; Judy Taylor, Betty Wells, Julia Villa, Raquel Roman, Judy Bennet, Donnah Haley, and Leoni Prescod.
Thank you to the staff at Home Hospice of Odessa, we appreciate all you did to make this journey easier.
Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home of Odessa.
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