Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Friday

February 3, 2012

Mary Tankersley Chisholm

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TRAVERSE CITY — Mary Tankersley Chisholm, 81, of Traverse City, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012, at Munson Medical Center, surrounded by her loving family.

Mary was born Sept. 25, 1930, in Brownfield, Texas, to the late Samuel and Edna (Beard) Tankersley. She married George Chisholm on July 25, 1949, in Brownfield, Texas.

After graduating with honors from Brownfield High School in 1948, Mary attended business school in Lubbock, Texas, devoting the remainder of her life to her family and her church.

She lived in California, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi before settling for the final 30 years of her life in Traverse City.

Mary's first priority throughout her 62-year marriage was her husband, George. She exhibited the true definition of helpmate, raising her family and supporting George in his career with Shell Oil, moving many times with a cheerful heart and sense of adventure. She cared for her four children with great love and devotion, always listening to childhood stories and providing wise counsel as they grew into adulthood. Her intense love and pride in their accomplishments, small and large, will be greatly missed. She also loved her grandchildren deeply, and in recent years experienced the joy of great-grandchildren.

Mary's devotion to her Lord was evident in every part of her life. She was actively involved with the Traverse City Church of Christ, particularly in teaching both children's classes, and in recent years the church's ladies class. More importantly, she lived her faith in private, caring for older members as if they were her own parents and spending hours working alongside George in their involvement with the Ghana West Africa Missions. As was typical of most of her service, Mary quietly worked behind the scenes, helping wherever she was needed, often providing hospitality to visiting missionaries.

Mary loved making her home a beautiful and orderly sanctuary for family and friends. She was a wonderful seamstress, creating wardrobes for her children and herself. She invented DIY long before it was popular, building and recovering furniture, making quilts, rugs and anything else she needed for her home.

She was an avid gardener, creating beautiful landscapes in climates as varied as arid West Texas, the rain forests of the Gulf Coast, and her favorite, beautiful Northern Michigan. She also loved traveling; she and George traveled all over the U.S. and Canada, often pulling a camping trailer.

Surviving Mary are her husband of 62 years, George; children, Mikee (Bob) Delony, Bob (Pam) Chisholm, Tom (Karen) Chisholm and Kimberly (Greg) Nienhouse; 11 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Douglas.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m., at the Traverse City Church of Christ, officiated by Josiah Tilton and Harold Reddick. Interment will take place in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens. The family will receive visitors today, Feb. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home and Saturday, Feb. 4, from 1 to 1:45 p.m., at the Traverse City Church of Christ.

The family requests that memorial contributions be directed to the Ghana West Africa Missions Fund; www.ghanamission.org.

Please view and sign Mary's online guestbook at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com.

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