On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, Mary Magdalene Mayes Stanford, 86, of Ada took her final journey to meet her savior. A service will be held 2:00 p.m. Friday at the Criswell Funeral Home Chapel, Steve Robinson will officiate. A private burial will follow at the family cemetery.
She was born during a blizzard on January 19, 1930 to Walter L. and original enrollee, Dorena Ayakatubby Mayes. Mary was born at the home of her aunts, Agnes and Mary Ayakatubby in Jesse, Oklahoma, only weighing three pounds at birth and had to be placed in a chicken incubator.
Mary attended school in Jesse, Stonewall and the Haskell Indian High School in Lawrence, KS before attending Nurses Training in Kansas City. She married Glenn Stanford. He preceded her in death after 55 years of marriage. Mary was the driving force that facilitated Glenn’s success and graciously contributed to her community by serving as an election judge in Brazoria County, Texas for 25+ years, as a life member of Beta Sigma Phi, a member of the League of Women Voters, and as a precinct representative to the Texas State Republican Convention. She belonged to the Pearland, Alvin, Bayshore and Houston Garden Clubs and the Pearland Grandmas Club. Since moving from Pearland to Ada, Mary enjoyed attending the Connerville Chickasaw Community Council meetings and treasured the new friends she made.
Survivors include her children, Vickye Gordon and husband Kenneth, Rickye Stanford and Mark Stanford, all of Ada; six grandchildren, Will Gordon, Jeromye and wife Laura Gordon, Glenn Stanford, II, Rickye Stanford, Jr., Rebecca Stanford and Catherine Stanford; and six great-grandchildren, Mistye, Devon, Bradlye and Christian Gordon of Danville, IN and Michael and Natalye Gordon of Ardmore.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Lilly C. Wilson; a brother, Harmon A. Mayes; and the love of her life and husband, Glenn S. Stanford.
The family says those who wish may make memorials to the American Stroke Association, 5916 Dearborn Street, Mission, KS 66202; or the Parkinson’s Research Foundation, 1501 NW 9th Ave., Miami, FL 33136.
Obituaries may be viewed and online condolences sent to criswellfh.com.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
