Mary E. Owens

Mary E. (Wright) Owens, 96, of Stan Road, Meadville, passed away Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at her residence. The daughter of Charles and Mary Chambers Wright, she was born in Meadville in 1922. Mary graduated from Meadville High School in 1939 and worked as a long-distance switchboard operator for Bell Telephone, and served in the U.S. Navy WAVES during World War II. She was the first woman from Crawford County to enlist in the WAVES and was in the second class of WAVES to graduate boot camp in the country. During the war, Mary was stationed in Seattle, WA and worked as an aviation machinist mate repairing aircraft for the Pacific war effort. While in Seattle, she met Charles Owens, a sailor from Illinois, and they were married on May 31, 1945. After being discharged from the Navy, they moved to Meadville. Mary was a full-time homemaker and was accomplished in and took pride in her gardening, sewing, cooking and canning skills. She volunteered with the Ladies Aid Society, making quilts for families in distress and working on projects for the Cancer Society. She was also a 4-H leader for her neighborhood. After her children were grown, she worked for C & J Plastics until her retirement in 1984. Mary was a prolific letter writer and maintained a life-long correspondence with relatives and long-distance friends. Mary was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; and five of her six siblings, Sarah Johnson of Canoga Park, CA, Ruth Jankowski of Ft. Pierce, FL, William Wright and Charles Wright of Meadville, and Marvin Wright of Jefferson, OH. Mary is survived by her four children, Mary Recupero and her husband Pete of Wilmington, NC, Linda Peelman and her husband William of Meadville, Beth Chappel at home and Tom Owens and his wife Patty Ganyard of Pomona, IL. She is also survived by her grandchildren,, Lisa Wishard and her husband Jacob of Albuquerque, NM, David Peelman and his wife Chris of Bessemer, PA, and Amber Suswal and her husband David of Sandpoint, ID; her great-grandchildren, Shandra Peelman of Pittsburgh, PA, Leopold and Emily Suswal of Sandpoint, ID, and Josephine Wishard of Albuquerque, NM; her sister, Florence Dillaman of Meadville; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, great-great-nieces and great-great-nephews. Calling hours will be Sunday, January 6th from 2-5 p.m. and Monday, January 7th from 10-11 a.m. at the ROBERT W. WAID FUNERAL HOME, 581 CHESTNUT ST., MEADVILLE. The funeral service will be Monday at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Dave Brumagin officiating and military honors provided by VFW Post 2006. Interment will be in Wayland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Crawford Heritage Community Foundation (for the Wayland Cemetery Assn. Endowment Fund), P.O. Box 933, Meadville, PA 16335. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.waidfuneralhome.net. Services 24 Hour Viewing Sunday January 6, 2019 2:00 PM Rose And Waid Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. - Meadville 581 Chestnut Street Meadville, PA 16335 24 Hour Viewing Monday January 7, 2019 10:00 AM Rose And Waid Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. - Meadville 581 Chestnut Street Meadville, PA 16335 Funeral Service Monday January 7, 2019 11:00 AM Rose And Waid Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. - Meadville 581 Chestnut Street Meadville, PA 16335