Mary Anita Buxton passed away at 10:40 a.m., Monday, January 25, 2010, at Phelps County Regional Medical Center, Rolla, Missouri, at the age of 93 years, 1 month and 20 days.
Mary was born December 5, 1916 in Gravette, Arkansas. Daughter of the late Laura B. (Mathew) and James Buxton, Mary was the youngest of five children, Earl, Charles, George and Jay Buxton and Verda Dunn; all of whom preceded Mary in death.
Mary grew up and attended school in Pierce City, Missouri. She was very proud to be a player on her high school basketball team which played in the state championship. Mary graduated from Pierce City High School in 1933.
In 1936, Mary started working at the Pierce City Public School District for Roi Webb. She served at this position for five years. This job was to be the start of a long friendship and working relationship with both Mr. Webb and the public school districts. She worked for a time as a secretary in Joplin with the Teamster’s Union. It involved the construction of Camp Crowder. She moved to her own apartment in Joplin on December 7, 1941. During WWII, Mary and her sister, Verda were offered a chance to play on a professional women’s basketball team. She recalled they were paid just enough to cover travel expenses to and from games they played all around the country. After the war, Mary returned to Pierce City and worked at the bank. On July 1, 1947, Mr. Wood became the superintendent of Joplin’s public schools, and Mary returned to Joplin to work as his secretary. After 37 years of service to the Joplin School District, Mary retired in 1984. She served several years with the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. After that, she slowly retired from the working world to live a quiet life in the same house she had bought decades earlier.
In 2001, Mary moved to the Waynesville/St. Robert area to be closer to her niece and her husband, Laura and Tom Hume.
Mary was a kind, gentle, humorous person, and she will be greatly missed by her niece: Laura Hume (Thomas) of St. Robert; two grand nephews: Travis Hume and Michael Nienhuis (Michelle) all of Versailles; a great grand nephew: Mathew Nienhuis; a great grand niece: Melissa Nienhuis; other relatives and friends.
Graveside services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are under direction of Memorial Chapels and Crematory of Waynesville/St. Robert.
The family suggests memorial contributions in lieu of flowers to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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