Services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at the First Assembly of God Church in Stratford with Pastors Kevin and Darla Anderson officiating. Interment will be at Stratford Cemetery. Mary will lie in state at Morrison Funeral Directors in Stratford under the direction of Brooks Funeral Directors of Canyon. Mary was born on October 26, 1915 at Hominy in Osage County, Oklahoma to Noah Sebern and Ecy Commella Young. Her family moved to Texas in the early 1920"s buying land and farming what was once part of the Spade Ranch near Spade, Texas. Mary graduated from Spade High School where she loved playing basketball and volleyball. She married J. L. Stowers on January 16, 1937 at Anton, Texas. They began their married life farming and operating a welding shop in Spade. Mary helped J. L. build cotton trailers, farming equipment, and did general repairs. They grew cotton and milo in Spade before moving north to Friona and then to Stratford in 1963. They added wheat and corn production and continued to farm until J. L."s passing in 1983. Mary continued in the farming business along with her son-in-law, Jimmy Chesher until she sold her farm and moved to Amarillo in 2004. In 2008, she returned to Stratford and resided at Coldwater Manor until her death. Mary and her husband raised four daughters and was known for juggling full course meals, driving the tractor or grain truck, and gardening and canning, all in the same day. She was also an avid worker in the church helping to pioneer churches and always taking her family to church, seeing that they had every opportunity to know about God. Mary loved farming the land and will be remembered for her dedication to her family and her church. Lovingly known as "Granmary" her grandchildren will treasure memories of her biscuits, homemade jellies, cakes, pies, and banana puddings. Mary"s hobbies included traveling, bowling, and fishing. Being the last survivor of thirteen children in her family, Mary was preceded in death by eight brothers, Bud, Willie, Monroe, Noah, Gene, Joe, Wylie and Harvey Young, and four sisters, Della Waggoner, Corda Carter, Nova Melton, and Millie Capps. The family will be located at Jim and Ineta"s home, 1207 Beaver Road. Survivors include her four daughters, Maldean Houston and husband, H. G., of Amarillo, Darlene Dickey of Canyon, Arlene Brodhead and husband, Dan, of Granbury, and Ineta Chesher and husband, Jimmy, of Stratford; fourteen grandchildren, Debra Thurmond, of Nevada, IA, Kent Houston and wife, Rhonda, of Cedar Rapids, IA, Gina Deems and husband, Harley, of West Des Moines, IA, Dianna Brown and husband, Danny, of Weatherford, Caroline Brooks and husband, Roland, of Canyon, Paul Dickey, of Weatherford, Penny Ford and husband, Frank, of Weatherford, Yondale Mears and husband, James, of Haslet, Sherry Owens and husband, Dave, of Powder Springs, GA, Mary Dinger and husband, Donnie, of Keller, Nancy Styron and husband, Brook, of Granbury, Jacque Bierschenk and husband, Roy, of Monument, CO, Carol Chesher, of Stratford, and Bobby Chesher, of Ft. Worth; nineteen great grandchildren, Jon Raney, of Nevada, IA, Josh Houston and wife, Kim, of Ames, IA, Levi Houston, of Cedar Rapids, IA, Karly Thurmond, of Nevada, IA, Amanda Seibman and husband, Wade, of Ft. Worth, Brandon Brown and wife, Sarah, of Aledo, Kelsey Morris and husband, Brian, of Lubbock, Chase and Bailey Brooks, of Canyon, Hannah Ford, of Weatherford, Austen and Michaela Dinger, of Keller, Brandy Dunkin and husband, Shawn, of Lipan, Sarah and Bryce Styron, of Granbury, and Jordan, Taylor, Riley, and Brett Bierschenk, all of Monument, CO; and five great, great grandchildren, Cheyenne and Samuel Raney, of West Des Moines, IA, Allison Houston, of Nevada, IA, Bram Brown, of Aledo, and Ruger Dunkin, of Lipan. The family suggests memorials be to the First Assembly of God Church, 921 N. Fulton St., Stratford, Texas 79084,