Mary Goodwin

Mary Mildred (Chenoweth) Goodwin was born September 1, 1926 to Clark and Anna Chenoweth. She was the ninth of ten children born to them.  Mary lived her entire life in Oklahoma, and passed away peacefully surrounded by family on November 9, 2019 at Stillwater Medical – Perry.  She was 93 years old.

Mary attended several grade schools and high schools at Garber, Lexington and Sentinel.  She had been a member of the student council at Lexington and played on the girls’ basketball team at Sentinel.  She graduated Perry High School in 1945, and married her ‘darling’ Shirley James Goodwin on August 14, 1945 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  They settled in Perry where they raised their four children.  Mary was a homemaker for most of her life, but worked for a number of years at her brothers antique furniture store downtown, bartering on prices with her sharp wit and showing others how to appreciate a beautiful and well-made piece of furniture.

Mary was an avid fan of Oklahoma State University sports. She loved wrestling and especially football, both professional, college and even high school.  She loved nature and the outdoors and had a gift of being able to stop and see the simple beauty around her. Whether it was a sunset, a towering and majestic tree or small wildflowers, she never failed to notice, appreciate it and point it out to those around her.  It was no surprise then that her favorite hobbies were fishing, gardening, and taking walks. She often could be found outside working in her garden, nurturing her rose bushes (yellow was her favorite), and tending her trees.

Mary was most profoundly talented at loving her family.  Her granddaughters will never forget her animal shaped pancakes in the cast iron skillet, fishing trips for anything from fish to crawdads and anywhere from lakes to the neighborhood creek, and her endless patience for childhood wonders. Every scribbled drawing, every misshapen hand sewn piece of doll clothing made, and every attempt at ‘helping’ her make homemade noodles or other baked goodies was treated as if it was the most amazing accomplishment she had every beheld.  She served her family in any and every way imaginable and spoiled them all with love and devotion.  She lived long enough to love five generations and snuggle her great great grandchildren.  She was feisty to the end, even earning a comment from an emergency doctor on what a ‘firecracker’ she was and drawing laughter from others even in her last few days with us.  Her warmth, wit, patience and love will be incredibly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, 8 siblings, her youngest son, Miles Goodwin, and son-in-law Rod Hopkins.  She is survived by her brother, Bill Chenoweth, her son, Wiley Goodwin, daughters Shirley Goodwin and Sally Hopkins, all of Perry, granddaughters Angela Brand and her husband Russell of Perry, Cheryl Trent of Conroe, Texas, Patricia Martin and her husband Chris Moor of Roswell, Georgia, Jacqueline Higginbotham and her husband Phillip of Porter, Texas, Mary Ellen Allen and her husband Kevin of Montgomery, Texas. Surviving great grandchildren are Brenna Musaev and her husband Sherzod, Adam and Jeffrey Brand, and Kara Peterman, all of Perry, Kathrine Bennet-Brown and her husband Josh of Denver, Colorado, Trent and Tripp Martin of Roswell, Georgia, Thea Trent of Conroe, Texas, Cynthia and Evelyn Higginbotham of Porter, Texas, and Ruby Allen of Montgomery Texas. Great great grandchildren are David and Dominik Musaev, Joanna Lane, Abbygail Peterman, and Elena Riegleman all of Perry.  She is also survived by numerous loving nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be graveside on Friday, November 15th at 2pm at Grace Hill Cemetery under the direction of Brown-Duggar Funeral Home.