Mary Frances Buchanan's Obituary
Mary Frances Deweese Buchanan was born to Homer and Reba Alice Deweese on January 9, 1925. Third in age but not in spunk, she has two older siblings: Homer and Melba.
Mary grew up in Rockwall when there was only one traffic light on the main road. She shared fond memories of playing jacks – at which she was apparently quite skilled.
After graduating from Rockwall high school in 1942, Mary took her first job at the Mecca Café in downtown Rockwall and moved out of the house and rented a room from one of her teachers. Later she began working at the Office of Price Administration during World War II.
As friends often do, Mary’s were interested in her love life and convinced her to go on a blind date with a man named Carl Buchanan. Though at first, she was not impressed with the young army recruit, he eventually won her heart and then her hand.
Mary and Carl settled in Dallas, Texas, and were solid members of their community. They were good neighbors and regular attenders of East Grand Baptist Church. Mary worked in the church nursery for many years. A few years into marriage, Mary and Carl adopted their first child, a little girl whom they named Beverly. Mary often described seeing her new daughter for the first time and bursting into tears as “she was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen”. A couple of years later, Mary proudly gave birth to her son – a young man whom they named after his father – Carl Buchanan – but now with a “Jr” at the end.
Though Carl Senior passed from Parkinson’s in 1997, Mary remained busy with church and her family, hosting holiday hangouts. As the years passed and the birthday collections increased, Mary’s physical abilities dwindled. The woman who had happily rocked her children and grandchildren now spent her time peacefully rocking in a chair of her own.
In her latter years, Mary spent her time praying for her family, completing crossword puzzles, listening to Elvis Presley and the Gaithers, and watching every episode of Cops. On the morning of April 30th, she peacefully departed from this life and woke in the arms of her Heavenly Father.
Being 100, Mary outlived all of her immediate family. She is preceded in death by her father, mother, step-mother, brother, sister, and husband. She leaves behind her daughter, Beverly, son, Carl, daughter in law, Jenifer, grandchildren Chelsea, Brittany (and husband, Thomas), Jonathan, Timothy (and wife, Brianna), and great-grandchildren, Kristin and Joshua.
Though we mourn her departure, we rejoice that Mary is alive and renewed, thriving in the presence of her Savior. As 1 Corinthians 15:54 says, death is truly swallowed up in victory.
What’s your fondest memory of Mary?
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