IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
Mary Ann Timm
Services for Mary Ann (Barrett) Avery Timm, 97, Marion, who passed away May 19, 2023, at St. Luke Living Center, will be 2 p.m. Friday, May 26, 2023, at Yazel-Megli Funeral Home, Marion
Mary Ann’s family will receive friends 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. She will be laid to rest in Marion Cemetery.
The only child of Earl and Sadie (Mansfield) Barrett, she was born Nov. 1, 1925, in Marion, where her father was a building contractor and her mother a homemaker.
Active in Marion schools, Mary Ann played clarinet in junior and senior bands and sang in the girl’s glee club and mixed chorus. She was a member of Girls Reserve and the Sub Deb clubs.
After graduating from high school in 1943, she worked as a secretary of the Chamber of Commerce when the late Dr. Ralph Melton was president.
Later, Mary Ann was employed at the Marion County courthouse in the farm bureau and noxious weed department.
She worked there until 1946, when her high school sweetheart and fiancée, Monty Avery, returned home from Okinawa after serving in the Army Air Corps in World War II.
Monty and Mary Ann were married May 15, 1946, at the Presbyterian Church in Marion. To this union, a son, Barrett, was born.
After a few years, they transferred their church membership to the Evangelical United Brethren Church. Because of growing membership, a larger church was needed. It became Eastmoor United Methodist Church in Marion.
When Barry was 10 years old, Mary Ann accepted a job as receptionist and secretary to Dr. Charles Magee. Later, she worked as a nurse’s aide at Spain Guest Home (later Marion Manor) and as a salesperson at the Sears catalog store in Marion.
Monty’s health had been failing. In April of 1988, he died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 62. Two and a half years later, Mary Ann met Ivanlee Timm of Herington. They were married on Mary Ann’s birthday in 1990 by Charlie Harrison at Eastmoor United Methodist Church.
After Mary Ann sold her home, she and Ivanlee moved to Hilltop Manor, where they met new friends and became reacquainted with old ones. Mary Ann served on the activity board for a few years.
She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary and a past member of the Eastern Star and Ourslerites Extension Homemakers Unit, where she served as chairwoman of public relations.
Among Mary Ann’s hobbies, she raised tropical fish in her home. Neighborhood children came to watch and learn about them. She shared baby fish with children to take home for their aquariums.
Mary Ann enjoyed embroidering and crocheting. She was known as the Angel Lady, creating hand-crocheted “guardian angels” four to a set: faith, hope, love, and charity.
They received much publicity and soon became very popular. Mary Ann shipped them to many different states.
Mary Ann enjoyed writing and composing music. The late Jean Holmes wrote lyrics to her music. “Twilight” and “Lisa” were published in 1962 by Lilburn Hoffman Publishing Co. in Wichita.
Four more songs were accepted but not published because of Mrs. Hoffman’s untimely death. One of them was titled “Marion, Our Hometown”.
Jean and Mary Ann were delighted when Lawrence Welk wrote telling them that “Twilight” had been placed in his music library.
Mary Ann, deeply religious, loved and served her Lord.
At Eastmoor Church, she was a past member of the pastor-parish committee. She served on evangelism outreach, fellowship, and memorial committees. At one time, she was visitation director, caring for Sunday morning attendance pads.
Mary Ann enjoyed writing personality profiles of church members for a few years. She wrote articles in the “Visitor” newsletter and was editor of the children’s newsletter, “The Lighthouse.”
She was a member of the Harmony Sunday school class and Lydia’s Circle of United Methodist Women.
On May 12, 2002, pastor John Goering renewed Mary Ann’s baptism by immersion.
She was a lifelong resident of Marion. She loved her hometown.
She had a smile for everyone, making friends easily, and held them with unselfish love and devotion.
She often said, “A stranger is a friend I have yet to meet.”
Mary Ann will be missed not only by her family but also by many friends. She has left an imprint on this community that long will be remembered.
She is survived by her son, Barry (and wife Marlene) Avery of El Dorado; grandchildren Amy Decker of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Nolan Avery and Nathan Avery; step-grandchildren Charlie (and wife Karee) Miller of Kansas City and Mike Miller of Wichita; and great-grandchildren Molly Unruh of Andover and Chip Miller of Kansas City.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, and granddaughter Angie Decker.
Memorial contributions in her name may be directed to Eastmoor United Methodist Church.
Please sign her online guestbook and leave a memory of Mary Ann at www.yazelmeglifh.com.