Mrs. Mary G. Sullivan

Mary Gossett “Grammie” Smathers Sullivan June 11, 1916 ~ May 15, 2015 On June 11, 1916, Mary Gossett “Grammie” Smathers Sullivan was born at her parent’s (Raymond “Dandi” and Lily “Bambi” Smathers) farm on Pinehaven Road, 3 miles north of Clinton, Mississippi. She died peacefully surrounded by her family on May 15, 2015. Visitation will be Sunday, May 17, from 2pm until 5pm and Monday, May 18, at 10am until the 11am funeral service at Chancellor Funeral Home in Byram, MS. She moved to Cedarcrest farm in Raymond, MS where she grew to adulthood. Being older than her 2 sisters and 3 of her brothers, she became a great help to her mother, even during the very early years. She attended Raymond Consolidated School where she was a very good student. Together with what she learned from her mother, her school homemaking classes and teachers, she became very competent in “homemaking skills”. Mary Gossett graduated from Hinds High School and went on to attend Hinds Junior College and then graduated from Mississippi State College for Women (the “W”). Her first teaching position was in the Home Economics Dept. in Walnut Grove, Mississippi until she later moved to Delta City. While teaching at Delta City she met the agriculture teacher, Ray Howard Sullivan, Sr. Ray was soon called to active duty as World War II had begun. Ray and Mary G. married April 9, 1942 at “Cedarcrest”. Mary was a lifelong Presbyterian and received infant baptism at the old Lebanon Presbyterian Church, which her family regularly attended by horse and buggy. Sometime after the family obtained an automobile they began attending Raymond Presbyterian Church, where she became a member. She later moved with Ray and children to Terry, Mississippi, where she joined Wynndale Presbyterian Church in 1953 until her death. She served as Sunday School teacher, Vacation Bible School director, officer in the Women In the Church and aided with mission projects. Her faith in God and her Christian example has always been the primary focus of her life. She was a member of Palestine Homemakers Club, 4-H Club Advisor, school P.T.A. officer, substitute teacher and was involved in many community projects. She enjoyed many family events and occasions, especially at the “Big Pond” and Cedarcrest. She loved traveling and camping with family and friends. Mary always had a positive attitude and was a gracious God-fearing woman. She never had an unkind word for anyone- believing that if you can’t say something nice about somebody, don’t say anything. When things didn’t work out like she expected, about all she would say is – “Of all things”. Another one of her famous quotations was delegating responsibilities by “Letting People do Things”. As declining health occurred in later years she was known for another quotation- “Use what works, what doesn’t work- leave it alone”. Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Ray H. Sullivan Sr., her parents, Dandi & Bambi Smathers, her siblings, Robert, Roy, Dorothy Hand and Stanley. She is survived by her brother, Guerrant Smathers and sister, Lucy Smathers Olsen. She is survived by children, Ray “Buddy” (Nancy) Sullivan, Jimmy (Priscilla) Sullivan, Mary Anne (Steve) Busby and Nancy (Jerry) McMurtrey. She is survived by sister in law, Dorothy Jones. She is preceded in death by grandson, Brian Sullivan. She will be missed as “Grammie”, Mrs. Sullivan, Aunt Mary G., Sis, and Mary Gossett by a wealth of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews as well as by numerous friends. Memorials may be made to Wynndale Presbyterian Church at 6600 Terry Road, Terry, MS, 39170.