Mary Grace Black's Obituary
Mary Grace Black, 96, passed away peacefully at home into the presence of her Lord on Saturday, June 25, 2016, in Rockwall, Texas. As a 29-year breast cancer survivor, Mary had an uplifting outlook on life. She was a loving, caring, thoughtful, and hardworking Christian person – beautiful in both mind and spirit. She never met a stranger. Mary Black was born on October 9, 1919, in Hopkins County in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to John Ed Smith and Ada Nona Neill. Mary Black was preceded in death by her three brothers (Boyd Smith, R.D. Smith, John Ed Jr) and five sisters (Bertha Smith, Tex Lair, Nora Parish, Ondie Watkins, Vernel Daisy Cooper). At the age of 13, Mary went to a tent revival in Cooper, Texas, and was saved. She later was baptized, on a Sunday night, at a Baptist church in Cooper, Texas. Mary married Eugene Black of Ben Franklin, Texas, on October 21, 1939, in Hugo, Oklahoma. On July 24, 1943, they had a daughter who is Jean Ann Black. They were married for almost 50 years when Eugene Black passed away on May 27, 1989. When Mary and Eugene Black had first come to Dallas, Mary worked at Conrose Manufacturing. She then worked at Carhart Manufacturing in Dallas and later supervised their branch at Farmersville, Texas. At the age of 36, she worked for Collins Radio where she was the Supervisor for an assembly line. In 1966, Mary and Eugene Black purchased Lair’s Grocery and named it Black’s Grocery & Market, which was located at 756 N. St. Augustine Rd in Dallas, Texas, in the Pleasant Grove area. Mary loved her store and took great pride in their quality products and especially getting to know many of the customers on a first name basis. They always gave credit to the honest customers of Pleasant Grove who helped make Black’s Grocery & Market a success. Mary helped in the communities that she lived in by giving time to church schools and churches in her area. The church that Mary and her husband belonged to when they came to Dallas was Forest Avenue Southern Baptist. They later moved to Oak Cliff and joined Sunnyvale Baptist where her husband, Eugene Black, was baptized. In 1961, they moved to Pleasant Grove and later became members of Samuell Place Baptist Church. Mary Black is survived by her beloved immediate family, all of whom live in Rockwall, Texas. They are her daughter and son-in-law, Jean Ann Gambrell and W.H. Gambrell; her grandson, Allen Leroy Christian Jr; and her granddoggy, Hope Christian. She is also survived by her sister-in-law and husband, Ruth and W.H. Gunter; her sister-in-law, Emily Regan; her two special great-nieces Cindy Self and Donna Busby; and many other nieces and nephews. Family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 29, 2016 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM at Restland Funeral Home. Services will be held Thursday, June 30, 2016 at 2:30 PM in The Memorial Chapel at Restland Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243.
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