Mary Fay Whitney

Mary Fay Whitney was born on December 8, 1913, in the Cookietown-Union Valley area to William Christopher and Leona Eudell Maness Daniel and departed this life in Walters, Oklahoma on May 17,2009, at the age of 95 years, 5 months and 9 days. Mary lived with her family in the Cookietown, OK area until they moved to Walters in 1920. She graduated from Walters High School where she won many awards. Mary and her sister, Mabel, performed song and dance routines at talent shows and were entertainment at the silent movies before their Marriages. She married Noel Dwight Sturdivant in 1937, and they made their home in the Evergreen School area Northwest of Walters. She helped raise his two children Nova Dean and Noel Gene Sturdivant. Mary nursed him through his final days before his death in April 1963 after a battle with cancer. She was later married to Bob Ray Whitney on December 7, 1971 in Las Vegas, Nevada and they honeymooned in California before returning to Walters to make their home. She helped around the dairy farm her parents ran and after her marriage was a housewife who helped with farm work and always had a big garden. She won many ribbons and awards for her canning, sewing, vegetables, crochet work, including dresses and floral arrangements at the Cotton County fair. She was an accomplished seamstress, loved working with horses, watching birds, especially Hummingbirds, and was an accomplished musician, playing the piano, organ, guitar and singing. Flower arranging was one of her other talents. In 1994 at the Friends of Iris Society in Lawton, she won Best Design for "Grandma's Garden" and 1st place in the Religious category, along with 1st place in two other classes. She won the Artistic Sweepstakes, winning the Stephen Borsos Memorial Trophy for Best Design and the Emmy Duggins "Traveling trophy for artistic sweepstakes". Over a period of time she won six trophies from the Iris Society. She was a long-time member of the First United Methodist Church in Walters, the Dahlia Garden Club of Walters, and the Iris Society of Lawton. She was a charter member and held many offices of the Cotton County Home Extension Club which started in the 1940's. She was a Past Noble Grand of Walters Rebekah Lodge # 111, and was a member of the Walters Senior Citizens Center. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Charles "Charlie" and Claud Daniel, two sisters Lula Tucker and Mabel Fielding and a step-daughter Nova Dean Richardson. Survivors include her loving and faithful husband of the home, step-son Noel Gene Sturdivant, and sister-in-law Olga Daniel, all of Walters; 7 Step-grandchildren, Orville Sturdivant of Temple, OK, Johnnie Lou Kuykendall and Bobby Paul both of Lawton, OK, Bobby Richardson and Greg Richardson both of Anadarko, David Richardson and Eddie Paul both of Chickasha, OK; many other nieces, nephews, step-great grandchildren and friends.