Mary Ellen Thrasher Richardson was born in Garvin County May 30, 1928, and passed from this earthly home Sept. 12, 2026.
Born to James Thrasher and Martha Dixon Thrasher, she was the eighth of nine children. Their family settled on a farm near Paoli, and this is where Mary graduated from high school.
Born in 1928, Mary endured and survived many hardships, among them were the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl and World War II. It is amazing to think she rode a horse to school, went to town in a wagon and walked half a mile to catch a school bus. At school she was the salutatorian of her class; a very smart and pretty girl, she played on the basketball team and told of how the boys and girls had to share basketball shoes since it was during the war and all materials were being used for the war effort.
After high school, she worked in the Extension office at the county courthouse until she married Harvey Richardson in May 1950. They moved to Stillwater where he finished a degree at Oklahoma A&M. Mary dreamed of being a teacher, but alas there were no funds for college and “school loans” weren’t really a thing back then. She did, however, get to teach many Sunday school classes at the Maysville Church of Christ where she and Harvey were members for over 60 years.
After graduation, Harvey and Mary moved to Antioch community to farm.
No stranger to hard work, she helped with all the work on the farm. They built Richardson Chester White pig farms, which was one of the most successful breeding farms in the country. She was the first woman allowed to show in the fair ring at the Fort Worth barrow show, breaking the ceiling for women to come!
She was a talented seamstress, making most of her and her daughter’s clothing, cooked and canned the produce from her own garden, grew beautiful flowers, and occasionally she found time to walk to the pond to do a little fishing! Jelly making was also one of her specialties and hers was some of the best!
Since Harvey was often away on the fair circuit judging livestock, Mary took charge of the pig farrowing operation.
The pigs they raised won many awards all over the country. In 1976, their family was chosen Oklahoma Farm Family of the year, an achievement she was very proud of.
With her many talents, Mary entered the fair for 81 years—first as a 4-H member, and later as a member of the Antioch ABC Home Extension club for over 60 years. Because of her years in 4-H club, Mary was a great self-taught naturalist.
Her daughter, Vicki, often said she learned as much from her as she did from her professors, as Mary knew the common name for most plants, trees and insects. And, she was never hesitant to trek through the pasture with her children collecting specimens for 4-H and college projects.
When her kids were grown, Mary finally had time for her hobbies which included growing flowers that people often stopped in the road to admire. She crocheted and embroidered many blankets and pictures as gifts for others. After graduation from OSU, Terry and his wife Debbie, joined Harvey and Mary on the farm where they still continue to live and work.
Mary’s grandkids were her joy. She played with them in the sand pile, as well as playing with Barbies, beanie babies, Legos and even board games, which she was not fond of. She did spoil them rotten and baked many a chocolate chip cookie for them.
When Harvey became ill, Mary cared for him, and after he passed at the age of 71, she stayed on the farm, feeding the hummingbirds, sometimes hundreds at a time. Watching her silly squirrels getting into the bird feeders was her entertainment, and her cats and dogs were her companions.
During her later years, Mary took up coloring and completed close to 400 books. She especially liked coloring books that the kids would enjoy. Getting to meet and know those great grandkids was a highlight of her life and she sure did like to love on them.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Hayden, Desmond, Jake and Glenn Thrasher; sisters, Verna Brewer, Opal Gross, Helen Hurst and Vivian Pearson; her husband, Harvey; great-granddaughter Emma Stewart; and son-in-law Steve Stewart. She is survived by her daughter Jana Stewart, of Ada; her daughter Vicki and husband, Don Russell, of Norman; and her son Terry and wife, Debbie, of Elmore City. Grandchildren include Stacey Stewart of Ada; Scott Stewart and wife, Sarah, of Celina, Texas; Kristen (Russell) and husband, Isaac Millican, of Moore; Brad Russell and wife, Jessi, of Salem, Oregon; Brian Russell and wife, Shilo, of Yukon. Great-grandchildren include Everly and Emmitt Stewart, Brennan and Luke Millican and Wiley and Sydney Russell. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sassy Sonic Smiles in honor of her great-granddaughter Emma (thru Paypal s.stewart1114@yahoo.com), Westview Boys Home, your local animal shelter or your favorite charity.
Funeral Services were Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Winans Funeral Home Chapel in Maysville, Oklahoma.
Burial followed at Antioch Cemetery under the direction of John W. Williams of Winans Funeral Home in Maysville.
Words of comfort may be sent to the family at winansfuneralhome.com.
