1920
Mary
2008
Mary Smith
December 12, 1920 — December 12, 2008
Mary Ann Smith, 88, died on December 12, 2008 at The Kansas City Hospice House after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. A Johnson County resident since 1962, Mary Ann recently sold her Overland Park home in Roundhill and moved to Lakeview Village Retirement Community in Lenexa, KS. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, December 16, 2008 at D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf, Overland Park. A visitation will begin an hour prior to the service. The graveside service will be held immediately following in the Indoor Mausoleum. There will be a reception that follows in the chapel.
Mary Ann was born on February 19, 1920 in St. Joseph, MO to Russell Cavanaugh Ginter and Olive Mae Milbourne Ginter. In St. Joseph, she graduated from Lafayette High School and attended Platt School of Commerce & Secretarial Training where she participated in a year long secretarial training program. She married high school sweetheart, Cleo Calvin Smith in 1940. Before he was sent to the South Pacific during World War II, the couple lived in Denver, CO, Albuquerque, N.M., and St. Petersburg, FL. They later resided in St. Joseph, MO and San Antonio, TX before settling in Johnson County in 1962.
Following the war, both Mary Ann and Cleo worked for Smith Brothers Manufacturing Co. in St. Joseph, MO. where she ran sewing machines as a garment maker and then became a designer, a job she had first begun during high school at 17. Her skill in needlecraft was sparked by her mother who taught Mary Ann to sew as a child. One of her lifetime pleasures was working as a seamstress. Over the years, Mary Ann managed several fabric stores including Lavines in Corinth Square. For a number of years, she worked in the alterations department of the Jones Store at Prairie Village. She delighted in her work as an independent seamstress in her home and many personal clients benefitted from her considerable skill.
Mary Ann and Cleo’s lives encompassed a variety of interests and they enjoyed social and charitable activities through Cleo’s Abdallah Shrine involvement and Mary Ann’s Eastern Star membership. As members of Village Presbyterian Church, Mary Ann and Cleo served as Sunday School teachers and she was a member of the Women’s Association of the church.They were avid square dancers and belonged to a group called The Rangers. They hosted many dance socials in the basement of their home. Not surprisingly, Mary Ann created elaborate square dance outfits for both men and women. Mary Ann’s artistic skills were varied and she was proficient in numerous crafts including quilling and ceramics. Ceramic pieces designed and crafted by her could be found throughout her home as figurines, lamps, dishes and vases.
Mary Ann was married to Cleo for 46 years and widowed in 1986. She is survived by one nephew, Charles Weigler Jr. After Cleo’s death, Mary Ann continued to seek new adventures and traveled to Europe and China. She played bridge with several groups and became a dedicated member of the the Village Presbyterian Church Choir and the Village Mission Sewing Group. She learned to play golf and participated in a golf league for many years. Mary Ann was an enthusiastic Kansas City Chiefs fan. She developed a close friendship with Bill Clevenger, also widowed and an avid golfer and bridge player. After his death in 2000, she was considered a member of the family of Bill’s daughter, Becky Hannah and her husband, Dr. Hamner Hannah III and their daughter, Haley.
Mary Ann’s life, began as a country girl and was characterized by hard work and determination. Her talents and work ethic were admired by many. She was loved and will be missed but she leaves behind many fond memories of a full life that this summary can but sketch.
In lieu of flowers, Becky and Hamner request that memorials in Mary Ann’s name be sent for Village Presbyterian Choir or Village Mission Sewing, Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208; The American Cancer Society, 6700 Antioch, Suite 100, Merriam, KS 66204; or Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, K.C., MO 64114.
Mary Ann was born on February 19, 1920 in St. Joseph, MO to Russell Cavanaugh Ginter and Olive Mae Milbourne Ginter. In St. Joseph, she graduated from Lafayette High School and attended Platt School of Commerce & Secretarial Training where she participated in a year long secretarial training program. She married high school sweetheart, Cleo Calvin Smith in 1940. Before he was sent to the South Pacific during World War II, the couple lived in Denver, CO, Albuquerque, N.M., and St. Petersburg, FL. They later resided in St. Joseph, MO and San Antonio, TX before settling in Johnson County in 1962.
Following the war, both Mary Ann and Cleo worked for Smith Brothers Manufacturing Co. in St. Joseph, MO. where she ran sewing machines as a garment maker and then became a designer, a job she had first begun during high school at 17. Her skill in needlecraft was sparked by her mother who taught Mary Ann to sew as a child. One of her lifetime pleasures was working as a seamstress. Over the years, Mary Ann managed several fabric stores including Lavines in Corinth Square. For a number of years, she worked in the alterations department of the Jones Store at Prairie Village. She delighted in her work as an independent seamstress in her home and many personal clients benefitted from her considerable skill.
Mary Ann and Cleo’s lives encompassed a variety of interests and they enjoyed social and charitable activities through Cleo’s Abdallah Shrine involvement and Mary Ann’s Eastern Star membership. As members of Village Presbyterian Church, Mary Ann and Cleo served as Sunday School teachers and she was a member of the Women’s Association of the church.They were avid square dancers and belonged to a group called The Rangers. They hosted many dance socials in the basement of their home. Not surprisingly, Mary Ann created elaborate square dance outfits for both men and women. Mary Ann’s artistic skills were varied and she was proficient in numerous crafts including quilling and ceramics. Ceramic pieces designed and crafted by her could be found throughout her home as figurines, lamps, dishes and vases.
Mary Ann was married to Cleo for 46 years and widowed in 1986. She is survived by one nephew, Charles Weigler Jr. After Cleo’s death, Mary Ann continued to seek new adventures and traveled to Europe and China. She played bridge with several groups and became a dedicated member of the the Village Presbyterian Church Choir and the Village Mission Sewing Group. She learned to play golf and participated in a golf league for many years. Mary Ann was an enthusiastic Kansas City Chiefs fan. She developed a close friendship with Bill Clevenger, also widowed and an avid golfer and bridge player. After his death in 2000, she was considered a member of the family of Bill’s daughter, Becky Hannah and her husband, Dr. Hamner Hannah III and their daughter, Haley.
Mary Ann’s life, began as a country girl and was characterized by hard work and determination. Her talents and work ethic were admired by many. She was loved and will be missed but she leaves behind many fond memories of a full life that this summary can but sketch.
In lieu of flowers, Becky and Hamner request that memorials in Mary Ann’s name be sent for Village Presbyterian Choir or Village Mission Sewing, Village Presbyterian Church, 6641 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, KS 66208; The American Cancer Society, 6700 Antioch, Suite 100, Merriam, KS 66204; or Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care, 9221 Ward Parkway, Suite 100, K.C., MO 64114.
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