Mary Nelwyn York

Mary, or as everybody called her ‘Mae’, was born on September 18th, 1933 in Bryan, Texas. She was the last of six children to Guy and Mamie Ward Blanton. They all had nicknames: Guy Jr was Sonny, Colleen was Dude, Juanita was Bill, Richard was Buddy, Wilma was Dean, and Mary was Mae.

Mae led an adventurous life that saw many changes. Growing up in Bryan, she enjoyed helping out around the house with meals and cleaning, learning from her Mom and her older sisters. She enjoyed school, too. But things really kicked off when she met her husband, and the love of her life, Brownell “Brownie” York. He was stationed at a nearby Military base. She was 18, and he was 28. When he got orders for a transfer, he asked her to go with him. She asked “Are you asking me to marry you?” He proposed with a ring from a Cracker Jack box, and their path was set.

And soon the children came along. At 19, she gave birth to Joe, at 20 she had Deb, and at 21 she had Rick. Military life meant moving about every three years, and this took her all over the country, even overseas to Germany. She enjoyed it, thrived in new surroundings and always found it easy to make friends. She often said how much she loved the Air Force and appreciated all the service that the US military gave back to them.

When it came time for Brownie to retire from the service, he wanted to move to California, the place he had always dreamed of. However, it was not quite what he expected... and the cost of living was high, causing Mae to go to work. No matter, she enjoyed that too! But it wasn’t long after their children came of age that they moved back to Texas.

She spent her golden years happily in Fort Worth, TX, spoiling and loving on her Grandchildren. There, they were able to prosper and live out a truly fulfilling retirement.

After Brownie passed, she spent her last years in an assisted living home, where, once again, she thrived with new friends and activities. She was always excited about something there, whether it be having lunch or dinner with her friends in the cafeteria, playing dominoes and bingo, or partaking in some exercise group.

That’s who she was: happy, positive, energetic, friendly and loving.

At her core, Mae was full of warmth, positivity, and love for her family. She loved and admired her husband. She loved and cared for her children with great passion. She took real pleasure in spoiling her grandchildren (with pies, presents, and kind words). This feeling will remain with us.

Preceding her in death were her husband Brownie York, her parents, Guy and Mamie, brothers, Guy Blanton Jr (Sonny), Richard Blanton (Buddy) sisters, Juanita (Bill) Tedrow, Colleen Barnes, and Winifred Dean Bienski, and her daughter in law, Cindy York.

Mae is survived by her three children, Joe of Reno Nevada, Deborah and her husband Michael of Austin, and Rick of Burleson, her six grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren.

The Funeral Service will be held on Friday September 17th at 1:30PM at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery, where she will be placed next to her husband.