In Memory Of
Mary Ann Stearman
1930
2018
Mary Ann Stearman
June 20, 1930 — July 4, 2018
Mary Ann (Turner) Stearman was born June 20, 1930 in Wichita, Kansas to Elwood and Bessie Turner. She attended Eureka Elementary School and Allison Junior High.
While with friends at the Eureka Gardens Church of the Nazarene she met a young soldier named Wilburn DeWayne Stearman. After his service in WWII they were married on June 16, 1946, four days short of her 16th birthday.
On April 7, 1948 their first son, Timothy DeWayne Stearman was born. Mary was 17. On February 15th 1955 their second son, Terry Allen Stearman, was born. While DeWayne worked for Santa Fe Railroad, Mary was a stay at home mom caring diligently for her two boys. She was young enough that they almost grew up together.
In 1970 Dwayne was transferred by the railroad to Topeka, Kansas. Mary, for the first time in her life, would live in a different city. The move was difficult for her until she and DeWayne found Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene. There, they would develop deep, lasting friendships that proved incredibly beneficial throughout the remainder of their lives.
In Topeka they purchased an old farm house on 5 acres and life was filled with making candles and creating crafts for the shows that they would attend. Mary's "boys" married beautiful young girls and she experienced another first. For years she was the only woman. Now she had girls and she treated them as if they were her own daughters. Then grandchildren started arriving in the family and Mary was delighted. Three little girls and a boy. Oh, how she loved those grandchildren.
Retirement years were filled with travel and family and friends. Looking back, it seemed to go way too fast. DeWayne passed away in August of 2009.
Now, another first. For the first time in her life, she was on her own. She continued to live in a patio home that her boys had purchased for her until 2014 when two different falls, 8 weeks apart, resulted in two broken hips. She entered the Assisted Living facility at Presbyterian Manor and received wonderful care until it became obvious that she needed more attention and in 2017 she was moved into the Skilled Nursing area.
On July 4, 2018 Mary passed away quietly. She is survived by son Tim and his wife Jane, son Terry and his wife Barb and by grandchildren Staci, Jamie, Amy, Tanner and as well as great grandchildren Atticus, Conrad, Daniel, John, Mariam, Severin, Abbigail and Ziven.
A Memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 9, 2018 at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene, 730 SW Fairlawn Road.
To leave a special message for the family online, visit the guestbook below.
While with friends at the Eureka Gardens Church of the Nazarene she met a young soldier named Wilburn DeWayne Stearman. After his service in WWII they were married on June 16, 1946, four days short of her 16th birthday.
On April 7, 1948 their first son, Timothy DeWayne Stearman was born. Mary was 17. On February 15th 1955 their second son, Terry Allen Stearman, was born. While DeWayne worked for Santa Fe Railroad, Mary was a stay at home mom caring diligently for her two boys. She was young enough that they almost grew up together.
In 1970 Dwayne was transferred by the railroad to Topeka, Kansas. Mary, for the first time in her life, would live in a different city. The move was difficult for her until she and DeWayne found Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene. There, they would develop deep, lasting friendships that proved incredibly beneficial throughout the remainder of their lives.
In Topeka they purchased an old farm house on 5 acres and life was filled with making candles and creating crafts for the shows that they would attend. Mary's "boys" married beautiful young girls and she experienced another first. For years she was the only woman. Now she had girls and she treated them as if they were her own daughters. Then grandchildren started arriving in the family and Mary was delighted. Three little girls and a boy. Oh, how she loved those grandchildren.
Retirement years were filled with travel and family and friends. Looking back, it seemed to go way too fast. DeWayne passed away in August of 2009.
Now, another first. For the first time in her life, she was on her own. She continued to live in a patio home that her boys had purchased for her until 2014 when two different falls, 8 weeks apart, resulted in two broken hips. She entered the Assisted Living facility at Presbyterian Manor and received wonderful care until it became obvious that she needed more attention and in 2017 she was moved into the Skilled Nursing area.
On July 4, 2018 Mary passed away quietly. She is survived by son Tim and his wife Jane, son Terry and his wife Barb and by grandchildren Staci, Jamie, Amy, Tanner and as well as great grandchildren Atticus, Conrad, Daniel, John, Mariam, Severin, Abbigail and Ziven.
A Memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 9, 2018 at Fairlawn Church of the Nazarene, 730 SW Fairlawn Road.
To leave a special message for the family online, visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary Ann Stearman, please visit our flower store.
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