Mary Mae Harryman

Mary Mae Harryman, 88, of Midland, Texas passed away on Friday, February 21, 2025. Services will be at 3:00 in the afternoon on Friday, March 21, 2025, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory.

Mary was born on March 22, 1936, in Shay, Oklahoma to Sidney & Pearl Stevens. She was the second of seven children. Eventually the family moved to Boise City, Oklahoma, where she eventually met and married her beloved husband.

Mary married Paul Harryman on October 15, 1954. Paul was finishing college at Oklahoma A&M and money was tight. There was a group of young, poor newlyweds that all became friends, and they would pool whatever they had together to make meals for everyone to enjoy. Their first child, Bill, was born in 1956. The family moved to Texas City where they survived Hurricane Carla; everything in their home was destroyed from flood waters. While in Texas City, their daughter, RePaula was born in 1963. Eventually the family moved to Midland, Texas where their third and final child, Phillip, was born in 1966. They moved back to Oklahoma in 1973 and lived at 709 Jay Drive for over 40 years. Mary took the job of raising her kids seriously and was the best mother any three kids could have asked for. An especially fun reminder of childhood is the fact that she cooked each of them their own breakfast each morning because they all wanted different things. Scrambled eggs, calf brains, hamburgers… Nothing was too much for her kids. She eventually went to work at Ranchwood Elementary School where she served as the school secretary until retirement.

She was a wonderful mom, but she was an even better MawMaw to her seven grandchildren. For her granddaughters, their earliest memories include wearing her oversized t-shirts and high heels around the house. Eventually that time together changed to include shopping trips, massages, pedicures, and Starbucks. The most treasured memory with MawMaw for all her granddaughters was their cruise to Mexico in 2011. Life doesn’t get better than margaritas and massages on the beach! As much as she loved her three granddaughters, it was obvious that her four grandsons were equally special. When any of them were around she lit up like a little girl on Christmas morning. She loved being surrounded by her handsome boys and made sure anytime there were family pictures, that she had one taken with her four favorite grandsons.

Having grown up in poverty and raised her kids with little money in their early years, Mary was determined to provide things for her grandchildren that she wished she and her kids had while growing up. Mary purchased each grandchild their own bed; the whole family was taken on multiple vacations (a favorite of everyone was the year we went to Red River, and all got remote control cars to race!); and once they reached high school, they were sent money every month to buy whatever they wanted or needed. For the grandkids that lived in Yukon, she cooked lunches for them and their friends whenever they wanted to leave campus to get a home-cooked meal. Three grandkids lived in Texas, but she didn’t let that stop her from making sure they were taken care of, too, and made many trips to see them participate in their school activities.

Eventually another generation of babies were born, and Mary excelled as a great-grandma, too. She traveled to Midland when her first three great-grandsons were born, to make sure that her granddaughters were taken care of and supported. Even though they were grown and married, she was still MawMaw and wanted to support her family the best way she knew how – with love.

Mary never knew a stranger and welcomed everyone into her home. There was never a holiday that didn’t include someone who wasn’t family. Whether it was one of the neighborhood kids, someone who had lived in the area decades earlier, or the waitress at their favorite Thai restaurant, if they were in need or alone on a holiday, they were welcome at Mary’s house.

Due to her declining health in recent years, Paul and Mary moved back to Midland to an assisted living facility where she could receive the care she deserved. Even as her speech and mobility left her, there was never any doubt that she was so very happy when anyone in the family was around. Whether it was her great grandsons playing swords and throwing baseballs, or a calm coffee date watching Heartland, she loved having her family near.

She was preceded in death by her parents, mother and father-in-law, one sister, four brothers, and all her brothers and sisters-in-law.

Mary and Paul recently celebrated their 70^th anniversary, surrounded by the people they love the most. Those of us left behind with broken but blessed hearts include: her husband, Paul; her children Bill (Melissa) Harryman, RePaula Tate, Phillip (Lanie) Harryman; her grandchildren Colby (Indy) King, Callie (Casey) Littlefield, Mary (Chase) DeLaune, Cydney King, Josh Harryman, Sam (Natalie) Harryman, Ben Harryman , Lacie Wright and family, Lexie Van Dyke; and her great grandchildren Landon and Blake Lynch, Hoyt and Heston Littlefield, Ryah Harryman, and Caleb Harryman. (There is a Baby Harryman on the way who will be here in September. We will make sure they know all about their wonderful MawMaw!) Also, a sister Peggy Glasspoole, as well as many nieces and nephews who will dearly miss “Aunt Mary Mae.”

The family would like to give a special “thank you” to our family friend Ranju Rahil, who has been a tremendous amount of support and friendship to us all and Heart to Heart Hospice for the exceptional care they provided to Mary in her final years. The care staff at Brookdale, also became so dear to our entire family and loved and cared for Mary as if she was their own.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the following or organization of your choice:

Heart to Heart Hospice – www.htohhfoundation.org

Cal Farley Boys Ranch – www.calfarley.org

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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