Mary Mae Bales (Ward)Enid, OK

A Memorial Service for Mary Mae Bales, age 72, of Enid, will be 12:00 pm, Saturday, February 17, 2024 at Garland Road Baptist Church with Pastor Billy Benson officiating. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home and Crematory.

Mary Mae (Ward) Bales died peacefully at home surrounded by family on Friday, February 9th, 2024.

Mary was born July 3rd, 1951, in Latimer County to Agnes (Pahlon) Ward and Bill Ward. She grew up in southeastern Oklahoma surrounded by family. She had many adventures with her cousins and brothers as a child, some of her fondest memories were with them.

Mary excelled in academics and athletics at school, lettering in basketball and softball, was elected Class Favorite, Basketball Homecoming Queen, class officer, and held several FHA and 4-H offices by the time she graduated as Salutatorian from Panola High School in 1969.

In June of 1969, she married James Bales, and that fall she began attending Eastern Oklahoma State College after winning several scholarships, including the Crisco Award for Outstanding Student in Home Economics. After two years, she transferred to Oklahoma State University where she completed her Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics, the first in her family to earn a college degree.

Mary and James began their family four years later with the birth of their first daughter, Amy Bales, in McAlester, Oklahoma. Soon after, the couple moved to Enid, Oklahoma where they lived for 48 years, adding two more children to the family, Andrea (Bales) McNamara Miller and Amanda Bales.

Mary was active in the Enid community and the Pioneer School community. She loved to host and organize, and was well-known for her skills, asked often to do so for church and school events. For many years, Mary ran the Sports Boosters at Pioneer High School, supporting the student athletes and their families. She was a long-standing member of the service organization Pioneer Wheathearts, and an active member of Garland Road Baptist Church. Any number of family and friends owe memorable showers and weddings to her careful eye and thoughtfulness.

She was the director of two church-based daycare programs, touching the lives of hundreds of children and parents in the Enid and Air Force Communities.

Despite her active schedule, she never missed a daughters’ ball game, concert, speech tournament, or play, always putting them first. She loved fishing and traveling, but loved all of this most when she did so with her family. She was also an exceptional gardener, passing her knowledge and love of plants to all three of her daughters.

Mary lost her husband of 53 years, James Bales, on November 8th of 2022.

She is survived by her daughters, Amy Bales of Colorado Springs, CO, Andrea (Bales) McNamara Miller and Kory Miller, of Enid, OK, and Amanda Bales of Champaign, IL; her grandson, Donncha McNamara of Enid, OK; and her brothers, C.L. Moore, Louie Moore, and Jim Ward.

In addition to her husband James, she is preceded in death by her parents Agnes and Vic Moore, and her brothers, Denver Moore and Terry Moore.

Flowers are welcome, but for those who would like to make a memorial contribution in Mary's name, donations can be made to Our Daily Bread of Enid, Oklahoma, with Ladusau-Evans Funeral Home serving as custodian of the funds.