Mary E. Mcwilliams

Mary Ella McWilliams, 65, of Parsons, passed away at 1:27 p.m., Saturday, July 15, 2017 at Freeman West Hospital in Joplin, Missouri.

On May 4, 1952, Emmarine Hickles was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. She named her Mary Ella.

As a young girl, Mary attended school at McKinley Elementary, Parsons Junior High, and graduated from Parsons Senior High in May of 1970. She also attended Labette Community College and Friends University.

After graduation, Mary decided on a career path in the mental health field. She held various positions and was employed at the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, the Behavioral Medical Center at the Katy Hospital, Class LTD, Living Skills, and Labette Center for Mental Health. She also worked at the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant and Labette Community College. Due to health reasons, Mary retired in 1996. She was a member of the Hamilton Chapel United Methodist Church.

On April 23, 1983, Mary was united in holy matrimony to Oliver McWilliams. Mary and Oliver were blessed with two children, a daughter, Sharnette, and a son, Oliver, Jr. who preceded her in death.

Mary cherished her time spent with her husband, Oliver, which included sharing lottery tickets; her daughter, Sharnette, which included playing bingo; and her grandkids, Justyn and Justyce. She enjoyed watching any events they were involved in. She also enjoyed riding around town seeing how much Parsons was changing.

In her spare time, Mary liked to watch Westerns, The Food Network, the History Channel, and reality TV. She was a fan of The Sopranos and The Godfather series.

Survivors include her husband, Oliver, of the home; daughter, Sharnette, of Kansas City, MO; and grandchildren, Justyn of Kansas City, MO and Justyce of Parsons, KS. Other surviving family members include Parnell Hickerson (Carol) and his two children of Phoenix, AZ, Asia Morton and her three children, of Irving, TX, Virginia Banks of Atlanta, GA, David Hickles, VA, Clarence Redmond, Sr., Kansas City, MO, Olander Hickles, Lansing KS, Marcia Redmond, Wichita, KS, Mary Davis, Kansas City, MO, Delores Opare, Louis McWilliams (Betty) and Donald Ray McWilliams, all of Parsons. Mary also leaves a host of extended family and friends to cherish her memory.

In addition to her son, she was preceded in death by her grandson, William McCarter, Jr., her mother, Emmarine, and her mother-in-law, Bessie Mae McWilliams. Other family members preceding her in death include Wilma Griffin (her favorite aunt), Edwin Redmond, Leslie and Deloris McWilliams, and Alberta McWilliams.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, July 22, 2017 at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. The family will receive friends from 7-8:00 p.m., Friday, at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to the American Diabetes Association. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.

Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.