Mary Ruthanna Bond was born on the Bond Home place south of Plains, KS to Parents: Orvel Aquilla and Audrey Elizabeth Marriott Bond.
She grew up with seven siblings: Orvel, Weymouth, Charles, Lowell, Abel, Myrabelle & Joe.
She attended Elementary Grades at West Glendale School south of Plains KS.
They also lived on the "Handy Place" 9 miles east of the TwoButtes Mountain in the 1940's.
In the 1984 Ashland Centennial Book Mary wrote: "I came to Clark County in June 1944 (age 18) and worked for John and Flora Baden in the 5 & 10 cent Ben Franklin Store. I was a cook in the old Ashland Hospital at the time of Dr. Jerry McNickle's return from Service (1946) to set up his practice in Ashland."
Mary married farmer/rancher Willie Lee Cunningham on Feb. 10, 1948. Willie (born 1908) was the son of Gus & Mary Amelia Bock Cunningham and he grew up in Acres KS. Willie purchased the family farm southwest of Ashland in 1947. To this union was born five children.
Mary stayed busy raising the children, gardening, canning, sewing, teaching & loving her grandchildren but also over the years she helped on the farm in whatever manner needed: running a truck, tractor or mower, cooking and feeding hired crewmen, killing snakes when one unfortunately crossed her's or a kid's path and chasing down animals that were roaming the neighborhood and numerous other tasks that demanded her attention.
Some of her other many interests that kept her busy were being: Active at the Christian Church in Ashland KS. Active in the Acres 4-H Club as a Leader & 4-H Mom. Active in the VFW Auxiliary and The Tabitha House in Ashland.
Willie passed away in 1969. Mary remarried on Jan. 8, 1973 to Lewis Franklin Zane, son of Thomas & Freda Zane.
In later years, Mary did a lot of washing, patching & repairing of clothes and articles that came into The Tabitha house but her favorite task was cleaning up and repairing dolls and stuffed animals that came into Tabitha House so the children would have a nice clean doll or stuffed friend to love and play with.
She is preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother Jessie in 1932, her husbands - Willie in 1969 and Lewie in 2006, a son Richard Lee in 1952, daughter Mary Joann in 1982, step daughter Virginia in 2011, four brothers and two sisters.
Mary went to be with her Lord and Savior on August 13, 2019, at the age of 93, at the Ashland Long Term Care Unit, Ashland, Kansas.
Mary is survived by her brother Joe (Patty) Bond of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Her children: Norma Cunningham of Scott City Kansas; Phil (Mary Ann) Cunningham of Ashland, Kansas; Myrna (Steve) Sanders of Ozark, Missouri; stepson Ray Cunningham of Topeka, Kansas.
Her Grandchildren: Jennifer M. Sanders (Jaime) Lozano of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico; Austin M. (Jen K.) Sanders of Springfield, Missouri; Mark W. Sanders of Springfield Missouri; Preston L. (Andra) Cunningham of Fowler Kansas; Lindsay A. Cunningham (Jacob) Enlow of Olathe Kansas; Cameron C. Cunningham of Ashland Kansas; Chelsea M. Cunningham (Chris) Boyd of Medicine Lodge, Kansas; Megan A. Cunningham (Grant) Gardiner of Ashland, Kansas.
Her Step Grandchildren: Dixie Brown Craig of Reno, Nevada; Donna Brown Houston (Mike) McDonald of Lincoln, Oregon; Carolyn Cunningham (Dan) Taylor of Sterling, Kansas; Kendall (Linzett) Cunningham of Wichita, Kansas.
Her Great Grandchildren: Kate E. and Abby J. Cunningham of Fowler, Kansas; Grant W. and Gavin P. Sanders of Springfield, Missouri; Julie A. and Logan A. Enlow of Olathe, Kansas; Charlotte R. Boyd of Medicine Lodge, Kansas;
Her Step Great Grandchildren: Nicole Taylor of Dallas, Texas; Wesley and Isabella Cunningham of Wichita, Kansas; Tyson Craig of Dodge City, Kansas; Christina Craig (William) Gentzsch of Tiffin, Iowa.
Her Step Great Great Grandchildren: Logan and Lucas Craig of Dodge City, Kansas.
Also numerous Nieces, Nephews, Cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers, in memory of Mary and her servant's heart and spirit, please bring a doll or stuffed animal to place around her casket at the Celebration of life. These will be donated to the 2019 "Operation Christmas Child" Project.
Monetary Donations to the OPC project (Notate - For "Operation Christmas Child" in memory of Mary Zane) may be mailed to: United Methodist Church P. O. Box 686, Ashland, KS 67831
Friday, August 16, 2019
2:00 - 7:00 pm
Wilkinson Funeral Service Ashland
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Starts at 10:00 am
First Christian Church - Ashland
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