Mary Laverne Terry went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, July 7, 2022 at the age of 88.

Services will be Sunday, July 10, at 3 p.m. at Green Gates Farmhouse 888 County Road 8, Stringer, MS 39481 with burial to follow at Liberty Cemetery in Stringer.

Visitation will begin at 2 p.m. Reverend Jerry East will officiate.

Mrs. Terry was born in Noxapator, MS in 1934 and moved with her family to the Sharon Community near Laurel, MS when she was just a young girl. She attended Sharon School and before finishing high school was an MVP player on the Girls high school basketball team.

In 1955, Mary was employed with Northern Electric Company in Bay Springs, MS where she met and later married her husband of 56 years, James L. {Buddy} Terry.  In later years she had a tenure of 17 years with Laurel Industrial Manufacturing Company.

Upon retirement, Mary enjoyed many years at home with 'Buddy", gardening, cooking, and welcoming her family home for big meals and lots of special times together. Mary found great joy in serving others by checking on neighbors, visiting friends who were ill or in need, and serving in her church. She truly belied in Christ's teaching of "Love one another," and it was exemplified in her life every day.

Mary's greatest delight and the center of her heart was her four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. She enjoyed nothing more than that sharing her latest story about them and bragging al little! Not a day passed that she didn't want to hear from them or see if they were all okay.

Mary was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother and the best friend anyone could ever want. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and lovingly remembered always for her strong faith in God, her kindness, quick wit, and her wisdom about life.

In the mid-nineties, Mary was chosen as honorary chairperson for Relay for Life, which is dedicated to helping communities attack cancer. As a four-time victim of breast cancer, Mary always hoped that one day there would be a cure for this awful disease with which she battled and ultimately lost.  Thankfully, she now has victory over all of this with the promise of eternal life through her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mary Terry was preceded in death by her husband, James L. {Buddy} Terry, her mother, Mamie Cates Snow, her father, Charles Benjamin Snow, two brothers, Homer and Printess Snow and two sisters, Ann Shannon and Pam Hebert.

She is survived by her two daughters, Mary Diane Vance and Sheila Terry Keyes, four grandchildren, Krysten Keyes Jernigan, Shelby Tapp, Adam Keyes,, and Casey Arnold,  and three great grandchildren, Lynnon and Harris Jernigan, and Hadlee Arnold. She is also survived by one brother, Pratess Snow of Hurley, Mississippi.

Pallbearers will be Ricky Keyes, Adam Keyes, Shelby Tapp, Jay Jernigan, Bennie Arnold, and Terry Snow.

Colonial Chapel in Bay Springs will be in charge of services.