Mary Yvonne (Wilson) Yarbrough, beloved wife and mother, age 60, passed away on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 at Carrus Hospital in Sherman, Texas.
Mary was born July 10, 1958 in Fort Gordon U.S. Army Hospital, Richmond County, Ga. to Audry Eldred Wilson Jr. and Mary Earline Bush. She grew up in Germany from an infant through sixth grade attending school there while her father was stationed with the U.S. Army in Germany. Mary loved spending her childhood in Germany living in a house outside the base in town and spoke often of how beautiful Germany and France were. When she was in sixth grade, her father was transferred back to the states where she attended school in Lawton, Oklahoma. As an adult, she lived in Yugoslavia until the war broke out before moving to Maryland.
It was in Maryland she met the love of her life Leon Nelson Yarbrough III on Feb. 2, 1993. They were married Dec. 19, 2002 in Sherman, Texas. Leon and Mary settled down in Caney, Okla. in October 1996 and lived there for many years.
Mary loved animals and she never met a hurt or stray animal she did not nurse back to health or find a loving home for. Her love of books and literature lead her and Leon to build a church library at Caney Pentecostal Holiness Church. Each Halloween, she would dress up as a witch and take her dog Toto to eight different nursing homes throughout the area giving out candy and bringing joy through animal therapy to the residents. Her desire to help people showed in her numerous acts of charity works over the years from bringing burial clothes to the local nursing homes to clothing drives for nursing home residents.
Mary had a gift to see people and animals in need and brought kindness into their lives. She was a loving mother, wife, and grandmother who’s philanthropy work lives on through the lives of her loved ones. Mary will be sorely missed by all who loved and knew her.
She is survived by the love of her life and husband Leon Nelson Yarbrough III of Maryland, Her loving daughter Casey Yvonne Van Buskirk Hodges (husband James Garner Hodges Jr.) of Wisconsin, three beautiful grandchildren: Julie Ann Carmona, Hannah Lynn Hodges, and Jeremiah Ezra Hodges all of Wisconsin.
She is predeceased by her father Audry Eldred Wilson Jr. and mother Mary Earline Bush of Oklahoma.
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. at Caney Pentecostal Holiness Church, 300 West Main St. Caney, Okla. with Reverend Brewer officiating.
Arrangements are under the direction of Gordon Funeral Home, 221 N. Third Ave. in Durant.
Phone: (580) 916-9090
www.gordonfh.com.