Mary Crites

Mary Martha Brown Crites, 81, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home.

She was born Jan. 24, 1937, in Cape Girardeau to George R. and Elsie Sebastian Brown. She and George Donald "Tom" Crites were married June 4, 1954, at the Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson. Five children were born to their union, and they had been married nearly 22 years, when Tom passed away April 18, 1976.

Mary was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Jackson. She was a 1954 graduate of Jackson High School. Upon her marriage to Tom, she became a member of New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson.

Mary worked at the following Jackson businesses: Palace Theatre, Schaper's IGA Foodliner, Brockett's Pharmacy and Jones Drug Store for 29 years. She previously served as a Brownie leader and 4-H leader and coached girls softball. She was a member of the Cane Creek Homemakers Club and the Coffee Drinkers Bowling League.

Loving survivors include four children, Linda (David) Bollinger of Jackson, Jeff (Nancy) Crites of Ocoee, Florida, Jeannie (Chris) Starr of Charleston, Missouri, and Lori (Mark) Wasikowski of West Lafayette, Indiana; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and four sisters-in-law, Peggy Brown-McAnnaly, Beulah Crites and Margie Crites, all of Jackson, and Geri Crites of Cape Girardeau.

Mary Crites

She was preceded in death by her husband; a daughter, Lisa Stricker (Jan. 22, 2010); her parents; two brothers, Roy and Kenneth Brown; two sisters, Betty Moyle and Sybil Loos; and seven stepsiblings.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Funeral will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jimmie Corbin officiating. Burial will follow at Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to New McKendree Church or any cancer-related charity.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.