- Date Of Birth: November 27, 1941
- Date Of Death: November 9, 2020
- State: Utah
Mary Lou Kemmerer Stark, 78, passed away early Monday morning, November 9, 2020 at the Brigham City Hospital. Mary would like to let you know that her work here is done. She received a call, a sort of offer she couldn’t refuse; an appointment from which she will not be returning. This assignment comes with a huge bonus, like, Mom running and jumping into Dad’s loving arms. They have work to do and he has been waiting patiently for her to return. Now they can ride off into the sunset.
Mary was born Thanksgiving Day on a farm in Humboldt, Kansas on November 27, 1941. She was the first born to Charles Edward Kemmerer and Ella Lucille Bailey. From an early age, she learned the value of hard work and the importance of an education. She instilled these ideals in her own daughters later on in life.
Even though Mary was extremely talkative and social at school, she earned a scholarship to play basketball at a local junior college. During college, she stayed was doing work for a local family when she was introduced to two missionaries that would change her life in more ways than one. Not only did she join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but she would one day marry the missionary that baptized her, John Conway Stark. After joining the church, she finished her bachelor’s degree at BYU. After college, Mary served a mission in southern California, despite her family’s objections.
When she returned from her mission, she taught Elementary Education in Murray. Here, she rekindled her association with her missionary, John Stark. He eventually convinced her to marry him and their love was solemnized in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on February 21, 1968. Together, they raised four beautiful and strong daughters in Clearfield, Utah.
Mary returned to Elementary Education, teaching Special Education, she was much desired as a Special Ed teacher. Students would move in boundaries or get boundary permission just so she could teach them.
During the eighties, Mary was the secretary of the Republican party in the State of Utah. It’s fair to say, she loved politics! She also made sure her family could see President Reagan, when he came to Utah.
Mary really enjoyed reading, crocheting, cooking, baking, and making candy. Along with the things she could do, she made sure her daughters were taught the things she couldn’t do, like music, swimming and bike riding. She also loved sports, she’s passed that love of watching football and playing sports to her daughters. She loved to travel. When visiting her family, she would make sure the girls were educated by going different and unique ways, stopping by great landmarks throughout many different states.
After celebrating 50 years of marriage and a slew of personal medical struggles, Mary’s husband left this life in 2018. With her own personal health issues, Mary moved in with one of her daughters.
Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Lucille Kemmerer, her brothers, Carl Kemmerer and Gene Kemmerer and her husband, John Conway Stark.
Mary is survived by her three sisters, Sue (John) Hurst, Helen Uitts, and Carol Tucker; her four daughters, Shelley (Kirk) Marble, Christy (Matt) Conley, Cindy (James) Crapse, and Connie (William) Peronek; her fifteen grandchildren, Alicea Marble, Alan Marble, Ella Marble, Jason Conley, Alexis Conley, Scott Conley, Michael (Peipei) Crapse, Marcus (Linda) Crapse, Stephanie (Glen) Wright, Bryce Crapse, Joshua Crapse, Savannah Crapse, Ethan (Destiney) Trevino, Qwilliarn Trevino and Taylor Trevino; and her two great-grandchildren Michael and Lucille Crapse.
