Mary Louise Wilson Price
May 3, 2014

Mary Louise Wilson Price
DALLAS, TEXAS--Mary Louise Wilson Price, 89, peacefully passed to heaven on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at her retirement home in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by her loving family. She suffered from an unexpected stroke five days earlier, was hospitalized, and her daughter DeLynn returned Mary to her retirement home on Friday afternoon.

Memorial Service for committal of Mary's ashes to the Columbarium at Trinity Episcopal Church in Muscatine will be scheduled in the next several months.

Mary was born in Muscatine, Iowa, the daughter of Ina B. Jamison Wilson and Harold E. Wilson. She graduated with Honors from Muscatine High School in 1942 and obtained her Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1946 from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.

Mary met Thomas Edward "Tommi" Price of Bartonville, Illinois, and it was love at first sight! They were married on December 21, 1947, in Muscatine, Iowa, and honeymooned in Chicago.

She resided in Muscatine for 70 years, 47 years of which were spent with her beloved husband, Tom.

Mary taught school for 34 years, mostly in Muscatine. She was a first grade and then kindergarten teacher until she retired at age 61. Many of her grown students would approach her at various times and tell her that she was always their favorite teacher! She definitely had a special gift for teaching. Mary was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa Honorary Society and NEA during her teaching years. She and her husband Tom were also long time members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Muscatine.

Mary and Tom enjoyed playing golf, bowling, bridge, dancing at the Elks Club, being members of the Moose Lodge, traveling, listening to Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, river boat gambling, greyhound dog racing, and playing with their grandson Thomas "Colin", who was born in 1988.
In July, 1994, Mary and Tom moved into a beautiful home in Plano, Texas, to be closer to their family - daughter DeLynn, grandson Colin, and son-in-law Larry. Sadly, Tom passed away in their home in March, 1996, after a difficult battle with lung cancer. Mary remained in their home until she moved to an independent living facility in Dallas in September, 2007. She enjoyed the social activities, especially bridge, and chatting with other residents and staff members.

Mary had a very close relationship with her grandson Colin, who called her "Gammee." Colin cheerfully drove Gammee to all of her appointments - doctors, nails, and hair. He never missed a holiday or birthday as an occasion to give his Gammee a heartfelt greeting card, a hug, and a kiss! She was very proud to have attended Colin's recent SMU undergraduate and Master's in Accounting graduation ceremonies.

Mary was an avid Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Cowboys fan, so she and daughter DeLynn watched almost every game together, decked out in team t-shirts. The last time they were together was to cheer the Mavericks to a victory!

Mary was in great health and good spirits, always ready with a kind word and a good joke. That is why it was an unexpected shock when she had a major stroke on April 28th. Her family remained by her side during the entirety of her struggle. Family members talked to her continuously, held her hands, kissed her and caressed her face. She was able to communicate with her family by pressing her fingers against our hands.

Mary asked her daughter DeLynn to share the following in the event of her death:
"When I must leave you for a little while, do not grieve and shed wild tears. For my sake, live on and do all things the same. Reach out your hand in comfort and cheer and I will comfort you and hold you near. And never, never be afraid to die, for I am waiting for you in Heaven."
Mary's kind and gentle spirit and our memories of her will live on in our hearts forever...

Survivors include her daughter, DeLynn Price Davis (former Muscatine resident), her grandson, Thomas "Colin" Davis, of Dallas, Texas; her niece, Carolyn Riedel and husband Dennis, and their children, Sarah, Matthew, and Steven; her nephew, Harold Wilson and wife, Judy, and their children, Janelle and Andrew, all currently or originally from Muscatine.

Mary was preceded in death by her father, Harold E. Wilson, and her mother, Ina B. Jamison Wilson Marshall, and her brother, Robert H. Wilson and his wife, Verna Mae Benson Wilson.

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