March 17, 1925 – January 22, 2022
Mary Jerene Geary-Graves, 96, of Mitchell, passed away Saturday, January 22, 2022, at Mitchell Manor.
Born March 17, 1925, in Lawrence County, she was the daughter of Loyd R. and Anice C. (Bex) Miller, Sr. She married Charles W. Geary in 1945 and they had two children, Brent (Carla) Geary of Bloomington, IN, and Lake Wales, FL and Brenda (Dana) Dunbar of Mitchell. She later married Phyl Graves in 1970 and he preceded her in death in 1988.
Mary was an active member of the Mitchell First Church of God where she taught Sunday school for many years and was also very active in the Women’s Guild.
Mary was a 1944 Mitchell High School graduate and a proud classmate of astronaut Virgil I. Grissom. She was a former member of Order of Eastern Star No. 503, Gideon’s International, and a volunteer for Hospice Care. Mary also served with the Hoosier Uplands Latch Key Program where she enjoyed working with children and was a Pink Lady volunteer at Dunn Memorial Hospital.
Mary is survived by siblings, Lloyd (Wilma) Miller, Jr. and Sue Miller Acton of Mitchell; grandchildren, Heather Dunbar Parker (Brian) of Franklin, TN, Derek Dunbar of Bedford, Brent (Renee) Geary of Fairfax, VA, and Josh (Jennifer) Geary of Bloomington, IN, great-grandchildren, Jack and Dane Parker, Ryan and Finn Geary, and Josephine Geary. Mary is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, twin sister, Martha Kendall, brother, Phillip Miller, sister, Edna Merry, and her close in-laws Perry Kendall, Ray Merry, Mary Ellen Miller, Bill Acton, and niece, Susan Merry Fortner.
Mary was a loving grandmother and enjoyed bingo, cooking, sewing, and reading her Bible daily. Her favorite TV shows in her latter years were Jeopardy and 60 Minutes. She loved traveling and had been fortunate to have traveled in South America, Europe, Mexico, and in many of the North American states.
Funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 26, in the Memorial Chapel of Chastain Funeral Home & Cremation Center with Pastor Dwight Dunbar officiating. Burial will follow in Mitchell Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. until the service on Wednesday at the funeral home. Masks are optional.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.chastainfunerahome.com.
