Mary Lee Chappell

Mary met her husband, the love of her life, Otis Chappell at a Church Potluck dinner in Franklinton, Louisiana. After a short courtship, they got engaged and were married on Aug 21, 1948 and begin their family.

Otis left Louisiana and moved to McCloud, California where he found steady work at the McCloud Lumber Mill. In 1952 the family, which by now included two young children, moved to McCloud, California. Mary became very active in the Wayside Church of God in Christ in Weed, California and shortly thereafter, Otis gave his life to the Lord and joined her. In 1957, the family moved with their ministry to Redding, California. They continued to be very active and worked in the Willing Workers Church of God in Christ. It was here that Mary was licensed as a Deaconess Missionary in the Willing Workers Church of God in Christ. In 1964, the family moved to Klamath Falls, Oregon where Elder Otis Chappell became the pastor of the Wayside Chapel Church of God in Christ. Mary was then licensed as an Evangelist Missionary under Mother Theda Wells.

You could always find Mary, a very classy and stylish lady, entertaining friends and church members, while at the same time raising a family of five. Occasionally she worked outside of the home as a domestic housekeeper, but mostly as a home maker. She loved to cook and bake, and it was often said that she could boil rocks and make them taste good. One of her favorite meals was fried chicken, greens and cornbread, Mmmm. In 1980 the family moved to Portland, Oregon and founded the St. Johns All Nations COGIC where she served faithfully as a pastor’s wife and was a faithful member under the pastorate of her son until the time of her death.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband Rev. Otis Chappell, her parents; Ira and Lillie Thompson, her siblings; John Thompson, Hynetha Taylor, Marie Garrett-Nixon, Mardessa Harvey, JD Thompson, EJ Thompson, Joe Thompson, ST Thompson, Margurite Gatlin and Jewell Thompson, and grandson, Clifford Chappell II. Mary is survived by sons; Clifford (Diana) Chappell, Daniel (Joyee) Chappell, daughters; Lorraine (Joe) Murray, Lucy Johnson and Alice (Thurman) Hill, grandchildren; Briana Brown, James Johnson, Chris Freeman, Gerald Harris, Daniel Chappell II, Andrea Brown, Greg Harris, Shemekia Johnson, Charleiss Owens, Byron Chappell and Joseph Hill, and 14 Great-Grandchildren, also her sister Ida Causey and a host of nieces and nephews.