MARY (EVINGER) GIBBONS

CLASS OF 1950
Mary
Louise Gibbons age 88 of Osawatomie, Kansas was surrounded by family
and friends as she made her departure of this earthly life-and arrived
in Heaven on Monday January 25, 2021.
Mary (Evinger)
Gibbons was born June 28, 1932 in Osawatomie, KS. She was the
youngest ‘baby girl’ born to Roscoe and Dana Evinger. Mary grew up in
Osawatomie and attended Osawatomie Schools. She was a 1950 graduate of
Osawatomie High School where she graduated with honors. Mary attended
Central Christian College in McPherson, KS majoring in Elementary
Education. She transferred to Ursuline Academy College for Girls in
Paola, KS in 1951 and graduated with her Degree in Elementary
Education. She worked for The Palms Malt Shoppe in Paola and this is
where she met the love of her life, Bobby Gibbons. They were married
June 29, 1952 at the Osawatomie Pilgrim Holiness Church (aka: The
Osawatomie Wesleyan Church and currently ‘the Well’).
Mary’s
first teaching position was for Highland School in Rural Paola, KS. She
taught there for two years. Her husband, Bobby, was drafted in the US
Army and the couple moved to Columbia, South Carolina. While living
there; they welcomed their firstborn son, Gary Dean to their little
family. In the summer of 1954 Bobby was honorably discharged and they
came back to Osawatomie, KS to settle and raise their family. Mary then
began teaching for the Osawatomie Schools and was a 3rd grade teacher
for The West School. Their family grew and they welcomed their second
son, Larry Gene. Mary taught for The Osawatomie School District from
1955-1963. She continued her education in Elementary Education and
graduated from Ottawa University in 1962. In 1963 their family grew
again; and they welcomed their youngest and only daughter, Angela
Louise. Mary took a small break from teaching to be with her family.
Then in 1965 she was approached by the Rantoul, Kansas School Board and
was offered a position to teach 3rd grade. Mary taught at the Rantoul
School and also the Princeton School. Later those schools, along with
two other schools, merged into the newly built USD # 288 Central
Heights School. Mary taught 3rd grade at Central Heights School from
1969-1978. She loved all of her students and fellow teachers/staff!
Mary was known for her ‘artistic and creative’ flair, her affection and
love towards her students, her creative and outlandish Halloween
costumes, but mostly for the way that she brought the love of God into
her classrooms and prayed with her students every day before lunch.
Mary
resigned from teaching in 1978 but did not resign as a teacher. Mary’s
heart was dedicated to teaching children and she was the Sunday School
Superintendent and Primary Class Teacher at The Osawatomie Wesleyan
Church from 1978-2000. There were many times that she would pick up
children in her big blue van and bring them to church. She had a
servant’s heart and would go the extra mile with anything concerning
ministry. Many times if parents were working-Mary would get the
parents’ permission and go into the children’s homes- helping them get
dressed and then bringing them to church. Her heart was serving
Jesus! And she did it with all she had! Mary also played the piano and
was the Church Pianist for many years. She was humble and did not like
to play for a crowd. She wanted to just play at home for the Lord. But,
if she was needed-she volunteered willingly. Mary also started a
ministry for the Residents at Life Care Center in 1990 called “Sing a
Long” bringing Bible Reading and Hymns to minister. Originally it was
started with her fellow teachers Sorority Alpha Delta Kappa but in
later years Mary and her husband Bobby took over the organization of
this ministry that they both were so dedicated to for over 25 years.
Mary
loved to travel and enjoyed her trips to The Holy Land. She also
traveled on many Mission Trips through the Kansas Wesleyan Church
District to Africa, Suriname (South America), Russia, and Mexico.
It’s
no secret that Mary loved her PEPSI and called it her gasoline! Mary
loved to cook! She loved Cookbooks and read them like a long
suspenseful novel. She was a wonderful cook and her specialties were
Hungarian Goulash, Chicken & Dumplings, Grandma’s Famous Cheesy
Scrambled Eggs, her Best Ever Cookies, and her Coconut Cream Pie. Mary
also loved music, especially hymns, and loved the history of the
writers who wrote the hymns and what the writers were going through at
the time.
Mary had such wonderful artistic abilities. She would
sketch and draw her children and tell them how they had a beautiful
forehead like their daddy. She loved to decorate for Christmas. She was
also known as the teacher that always had the most creatively decorated
bulletin boards in her classroom.
Those immediate family that
proceeded Mary into Heaven were her parents Roscoe & Dana (Potts)
Evinger, her sister Betty Osborn, and her brother William Evinger. Mary
started out her Heavenly Journey but did not leave her family behind.
She has many that will be joining her one glorious day including her
loving and dedicated husband Bobby of 68 years who lives in their home
in Osawatomie; her 3 children Gary (Evelyn) Gibbons of Olathe, Larry
(Charissa) Gibbons of Osawatomie, and Angela (John) Wastlund of
Osawatomie. She adored her 7 grandchildren; Joshua, Jessica,
Jared, Joel, Hannah Mary Louise, Hadley, and Madoline Mary. Her 9 great
grandchildren were such a joy to her: Gideon, Lillie Bea, Lucy Noel,
Eli Thomas, Elijah, Twins Harper and Shiloh, and two precious great
grandbabies that are currently waiting to be born. She also prayed for
every one of her nieces, nephews, cousins, and her students in hopes
that they would be joining her one day in eternity. Mary would
say “Now let’s Keep it Positive and let’s not do any negative
talking”! She loved fiercely. She served with her whole heart. And
Jesus was the Lord of her life. She will be missed greatly but her
legacy lives on in her family and those lives that she
touched.
SERVICES
Graveside Service
Friday, January 29, 2021
3:30 PM
Osawatomie Cemetery
Mary’s Sing- Along Celebration
Friday, January 29, 2021
4:00 PM
‘The Well’ Wesleyan Church
513 15th Street
Osawatomie, KS 66064