Mary was born on July 28th, 1926, at home, in Coalby Canyon, near Cedaredge Colorado. Mary was the first child and only daughter of Laurence and Dora Ashurst. She had three younger brothers. Mary went to school in Cedaredge and at age 16 she met her lifelong sweetheart, Lawrence (Larry) Kissinger. They both graduated from Cedaredge High School in 1944 and were married in 1945 while Larry served in the Army Air Corp and Mary attended Nurses Training School in Denver. They were married just two months short of 75 years when Larry passed away in October 2020.
Mary mostly worked as a homemaker while raising their three children: Charlie, Katie and Paul. She had a brief stint as an Avon Lady and then when the kids were in High School, she was proud to work as the school secretary for the English Department at Centennial High School. In 1982, Mary and Larry moved to Renton Washington and Mary spent her time volunteering and doing Church work. She loved their Renton Methodist Church community and happily sang in the Choir every week. They joined the Seattle area Jubilate Choir, Mary singing and Larry narrating and traveled with that Choir to Russia, and twice to Africa. With early retirement, Mary and Larry became active Nomads, a Methodist Mission Service where they traveled in RVs to 63 different Projects. They visited Australia, Africa, Russia, Europe, and South America. They also went on an archeology dig in Israel, volunteered and donated to the Heifer Project, and participated in hurricane disaster responses to the Gulf of Mexico and flood repair in western Washington. Mary and Larry were also avid rockhounds and square dancers for decades.
In 2001 Mary and Larry moved back to Gresham and returned to the Gresham United Methodist Church where Mary, of course re-joined the Choir and sang with them until 2017 when she was 90 years old and no longer able to drive. Mary made pine needle baskets and after moving into a Senior Retirement Community she learned to paint.
Faith and Church were always at the center, and with every Service Project or trip, their understanding and capacity to see the humanity in all people increased. For Mary, music and the choir were her deepest expression of faith. During covid and more recently as her mobility and health declined, we listened to the live stream virtual Church Services online and she often said….”let’s just skip the Sermon and listen to the singing”
Mary is survived and loved deeply by…………
One remaining brother: Ray Ashurst, Palisade Colorado
Her Children and their spouses: Charlie, Marcia, Katie, Paul and Lori
Grandchildren: Josh, Sarah K. Joe, Sara Lou, Trusta, Justin, Mandy, Laura, Cory. Her beloved Grandson Ryan passed in 2021.
Great Grandchildren: Janie, Lucy, Milo, Ruby, Gus, Baker, Lily, Reece, Madelyn, Landon, Sydney, Isaac, Olivia, Sequoia, Amaya, Hayden, Miles and Zoey
Great, great Grandchild: Holly
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