Mary Alice Rainbolt

After the death of her mother when Mary Alice was three, she lived with her Uncle Jim Orr and his wife Cora in Mars Hill, Georgia, while the rest of the children lived with other family members.

The family was reunited when her father married Lena's sister Alice McLain in 1922. Mary Alice lived in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Cedartown, Georgia, and Shreveport, Louisiana, where her father served as pastor in Presbyterian churches. Three more brothers were born into the family: Thomas, William and Robert.

Mae, as she was lovingly called by family, graduated from Byrd High School in Shreveport. She received a Classical Degree from Mississippi Women's Synodical College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and attended Norton's Business School in Shreveport.

While working at KTBS radio station in Shreveport, she met and fell in love with on-air announcer J. V. "Mike" Rainbolt. They were married June 16, 1938, in her parents' home in Shreveport with her father performing the ceremony. She started married life with a trousseau that she knit by hand.

The young couple lived in Colorado Springs, Colorado, before moving to Mike's hometown of Cordell, Oklahoma, in 1939.

She was a loving mother to children John, Betty and Charles. She led by example and continued to show how to live life with grace to the very end.

She was a devoted Christian, serving as Elder, Sunday School teacher, Clerk of Session and Circle Chair at First Presbyterian Church in Cordell. Her beautiful soprano voice uplifted many as she soloed and sang in the choir and at special events. Her children especially loved that she sang while working in the kitchen.

In Cordell, she worked at Washita County Abstract & Title Company and the Federal Land Bank. She partnered with her husband in Rainbolt Oil & Gas. In that role, she was known to take her portable Smith Corona into a wheat field and perch it on a tractor while she typed a mineral lease. In later years, she chaired Washita Minerals LLC.

Mary Alice and Mike moved to Sun City, Arizona, in 1985. She joined Faith Presbyterian Church where she served as Deacon, Moderator of Deacons and Peacemaking Committee Chair.

She was a member of P.E.O. where she completed 76 years of service and held many leadership positions.

Mary Alice lived her life with joy. She enjoyed her family, good books, crossword puzzles, Pavarotti, travel, hummingbirds, butterflies, sunsets and all of nature's beauty. Her kind and loving ways were evident to all who knew her.

She died May 27, 2016, in Sun City, Arizona, totally at peace with herself and God.

A celebration of her life will be held in a private family gathering.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Faith Presbyterian Church (16000 North Del Webb Boulevard, Sun City, AZ 85351), Salvation Army (1001 North Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City, OK 73107) or First Presbyterian Church (212 North College Street, Cordell, OK 73632).

Arrangements under the direction of Sunland Memorial Park, Mortuary & Cremation Center, Sun City, AZ.