Mary Estelle McCrory

Mary Estelle McCrory, 102, of Mission Hills, Kansas passed away on Thursday, November 8, 2012, at home. She died after a long disability following head injuries from two tragic falls. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 13, at Mt. Moriah & Freeman Funeral Home, 10507 Holmes Road. Graveside service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 14, at Mt. Moriah Cemetery. Mary was born Mary Estelle Guisinger in Kansas City, Missouri, on April 28, 1910. She was the middle of three children and only daughter of Joseph Emmet and Myrtle Harman Guisinger. She was a lifelong area resident. She attended Frances Willard Elementary School and Westport & Paseo High Schools here and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she graduated in 1931 with a B.S. degree in education. At the university she majored in secondary education and home economics, the latter serving her well in later life as host and homemaker. She became a member of the Delta Gamma sorority of which she served as president of the local chapter in her last year at MU. After graduating from the university, she taught high school for a year in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her church memberships included Westport Presbyterian and St. Andrews Episcopal Church. She is a former member of the Friends of Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum, the Carriage Club, and the Woman's City Club, the last for which she did interior decorating work in the late 1940s. The interior of her former home on Cherokee Lane in Indian Hills was featured in the 1949 issue of "Better Homes & Gardens Home Furnishings Ideas" and later she drew the plans for her present home in Mission Hills. Mary had a wide circle of friends and a broad range of interests, the latter including traveling, reading, bridge, gardening, collecting antiques, and home decorating. She was a lady of pioneer heritage who displayed spirit and strength of character. She was a mentor to many and admired and loved by all who knew her. Preceding her in death were her husband of 32 years, Kenneth W. McCrory, who died in 1966, and her daughter, Martha McCrory, who died in 2004. She is survived by her son Donald McCrory of Overland Park, her sister-in-law Martha Nell Guisinger, nephews Allen & Robert Guisinger, and nieces Carole Sandels & Sue Williams. Deepest appreciation goes to Mary Hamilton and her caretaking staff-Mary’s Angels-for making it possible for Mary to get the most from her final years. Donations can be addressed to: Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, Department of Medicine, 100 N. Charles Street, Suite 440, Baltimore Maryland 21201. Checks should be made payable to: “Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center” with Mary’s name in the memo section. Condolences may be offered at www.mtmoriah-freeman.com.