Mary Evelyn Ward

(WEDOWEE) The funeral for Mary Evelyn Ward, age 85, of Wedowee will be Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 1 p.m. at Benefield Funeral Chapel with Bro. Gerald Romine officiating. Burial will follow at Morrison’s Chapel Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday, May 30, 2022.

Ms. Ward passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, May 26, at 10:10 p.m.

She was born Sunday at 4 a.m. on Aug. 29, 1936, to the late John Larkin Waters and Rhoda May Heard Waters. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Mavis Ermaline Waters Pettus and Janie Francis Louise Waters Harrison; and brother, Clyde Maurice Waters.

Survivors include her son, Jack B. Ward Jr. of Clayton, N.C.; daughter, Freida Louise Ward Lowery (Russell) of Mooresville, N.C.; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and brother, Truman Waters of Conroe, Texas. Her family was her pride and joy.

Mary Evelyn was a prayer warrior and read the Bible daily. She was a long-time member of Roanoke Church of Christ.

Mary Evelyn graduated from Randolph County High School in May 1954. Upon graduation, she enrolled at Jacksonville State University, where she graduated in June 1957. In her senior year, she chose to do her student teaching in both her major and minor subjects, business and English. Near the end of that semester, she was selected as outstanding secondary student teacher. She and the outstanding elementary student teacher were asked to present to a group of women educators on “Why I Chose Teaching as My Career” and a picture and article on the event was published in The Alabama School Journal. During her three years at Jacksonville, she worked in the university library. Mary Evelyn later chose to continue her education and earned her master’s degree from Samford University.

At the age of 20, Mary Evelyn began her teaching career at B.B. Comer Memorial High School. She and the school librarian also sponsored Beta Club during her tenure there. Near the end of her second year at B.B. Comer, the RCHS principal asked her to transfer to his school as a teacher, where she remained for the duration of her public education career. Six of those years, she worked in the office of the superintendent of education. Several semesters she taught evening classes two nights a week at Randolph-Roanoke Vocational School.

Upon retirement from public school in 2001, Mary Evelyn worked as an administrator and senior high English teacher for five years at New Hope Christian School. In 2006, she retired completely. In retirement, she enjoyed participating in the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, East Alabama Art Society, Woman’s Study Club and Red Hatters.

Pallbearers will be Daniel Lowery, Lucas Ward, Wendell Huddleston, Chuck Marcum, Paul Romine and Shelby Taylor Phillips. Honorary pallbearers will be David Waters, Steven Waters, Don Pettus Jr., James Kennmer and Steve Smith.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.benefieldfhwedowee.com.

Benefield Funeral Home, Wedowee.