Mary Ivy's Obituary
Mary A. Sample Ivy, 80, of Longview, Texas, passed away on Sunday, October 4, 2020.
Mary was born in Livingston, Texas, to Joseph and Lucell Sample on July 23, 1940. She was the fifth of seven children. She graduated from Livingston High School in 1958 and moved to Houston, Texas to attend business school. It was in Houston that she met Glenn A. Ivy of Stonewall County, Texas. They were married on March 19, 1965 and they established a home in Sweeny, Texas, residing there for 43 years. Mary was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Sweeny where she served as a Sunday School teacher, and she made a career as a bookkeeper for the Sweeny Bank. In 2008, Mary and her husband, Glenn moved to Longview, Texas, to be closer to family.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Glenn A. Ivy; her parents, Joseph and Lucell Sample of Livingston, Texas; and brothers Albert Sample of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Raymond Sample of Evans City, Pennsylvania, Jerry Sample of Cleveland, Texas, and Kenneth Sample of Livingston, Texas.
Mary is survived by daughter Sharon and husband Dallas Stone, son Matthew Ivy; sister Linda and husband Jim Dunlap, and brother Wayne Sample and wife Carolyn; grandchildren Avery Ivy, Kristen and husband Joshua Spraggins, Cody Ivy, and Jacob Stone; great grandson Jaxon Ivy; and a host of nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Mary enjoyed gardening, crossword puzzles and classic movies. Her favorite television shows were Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune and she would consistently and competitively answer the questions or puzzles before anyone else in the room. She was a wonderful and adventurous cook who loved to clip recipes from the newspaper to try on friends and family. Mary was an avid reader and was a frequent visitor to the Sweeny Library. Her favorite time of year was Christmas and she spent hours picking just the right gifts for her loved ones. She had quite a collection of Santas and Nutcrackers, and her tree was decorated with beautiful Hallmark ornaments representing major events in her life or the lives of her children/grandchildren. In her younger years, she enjoyed dancing, camping, and travelling to new places. She was a wonderful Mom and a beloved Mimi, and will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
A time of Visitation and Fellowship will be held at Rader Funeral Home of Longview on Friday, October 9, 2020 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Graveside services will be held at Peebles Cemetery in Livingston, Texas on Saturday, October 10, 2020 at 1:30 pm. Services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview.
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