Mary "Libby" Emmons

Mary was part of “The Greatest Generation”. She was born at home in rural southern Indiana in 1917 to Bernard and Edith Hancock. She had 2 older brothers and one younger brother. Mary was dubbed Libby by her brothers because she had 2 aunts named Mary and her little brother could not pronounce Elizabeth.

Mary graduated early from high school and went to Indiana University where she graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Home Economics and commenced teaching high school.

World War II interrupted her plans for a fancy church wedding; she and her fiance’ Sam were instead married in the parsonage with one of her brothers and his wife as witnesses. The new Mr. and Mrs. Sam Emmons were soon living in Louisville, then Florida then Alliance Nebraska where their daughter Carol was born during a 30 inch deep snow storm. Soon Sam was on his way to Europe on the Queen Mary and Libby was living with her parents and daughter and inspecting munitions at Crane Naval Ammunition Depot. After the war ended Libby, Sam and their daughter moved to Bloomington, Indiana where Libby and Sam worked and she got her Master’s degree in Secondary Education.

Soon however, she and Sam opened Emmons’ Decorating Shop and were making drapes and slip covers for the next 4 years, before selling their house and business and moving to California in 1960. They lived up and down the San Francisco Bay area, then settled in Mill Valley and opened their second business which they called Emmons’ Home Fashions. In 1985 they closed the business, retired and followed their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter to Salt Lake City. After a few months Sam was again selling home furnishings and after a short time Libby was babysitting for her great grandchildren.

Libby continued to live in her home after Sam passed away on March 12, 1996. She continued to attend church at Christ United Methodist Church and her ladies’ Christian Study Group until about 2010. In October 2011 Mom went to live at Alta Ridge in Holladay where she lived until March 13, 2015. While living there this amazing woman became an avid Bingo player and endeared herself to the entire staff and those residents who got to know her. She will be greatly missed by her daughter Carol Austin, son-in-law Chuck Austin, granddaughter Heather Stevens, great grandson Spencer Leigh (who lived with her for about 3 years before he married Tonya), great granddaughter Ana’ and her husband Tyson Mooney (they also lived with Libby) and 2 great great grandsons, Austin and Kayson as well as numerous nieces and nephews and many friends she has made across the span of her 97 years. Libby lived by the tenet of John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” We love you and look forward to being reunited with you.