Obituary for Mary Goins

Mary Jo Goins, age 90, longtime resident of Ponca City, passed away Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at Shawn Manor Nursing Home.

A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Monday, July 21, 2014 at the First Christian Church with Reverend Larry Metzger officiating. Burial will then follow at the Pawhuska City Cemetery. Casket bearers will be Graham Parker, Jacob Parker, Wes Day, Dusty Day, Eric Payne, Troy Goins, and Nic Leigh. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home & Crematory.

The family will greet friends from 4:00 to 5:00 on Sunday July 20, 2014 at Trout Funeral Home.

Mary was born on April 1, 1924 to John Henry Nelson Coleman and Susie Medora Ferrell Coleman in Pawhuska, OK. She attended school at Durant District #51 in Okmulgee County. In 1938, she entered sweet potatoes in the County Fair via the local 4H Club. Her entry was then sent all the way to Chicago to the World Fair, winning a third place ribbon! Later her family moved to Wynona, OK. Here she graduated from Wynona High School as the class valedictorian in 1943. Another great memory was she received a letter in 1938 from Governor E.W. Marland, currently displayed on his desk at the Marland Mansion. While married to the late, Bush Goins, Jr., Mary had three children. After moving many times with Bush at Shell Oil Company, he eventually joined Conoco in Ponca City. Mary worked at the Jens Marie Hotel and as an LPN at the Ponca City Hospital, then finally at the Retail Credit department at Conoco until retiring in 1985. In more recent years, she could often be found at the Ponca City Senior Center playing pitch with good friends on a Friday Night. She also was a 2-term Deacon at the First Christian Church, member of the Rough & Tumbled Rock & Gem Club, supported Relay for Life, helped petition Cimarron Transit to being brought to Ponca City. Baking cakes for friends and events helped earn her a title of “the cake lady” in recent years.

Mary Jo is survived by her children: John Goins and wife Trudy of Ponca City, Janie Day and husband Joe of Ponca City, and Suzanne Williams of Owasso; grandchildren: Graham Parker and wife Shelley, Jacob Parker, Hannah Williams, Randi Day and Eric Payne, Wesley Day, Dusty Day and wife Brooke, Troy Goins, Nicholas Leigh, and Erin Smith; great grandchildren: Hailee Day, Cash Day, Sterling Day, and Thomas A. Williams. Proceeding her in death were her parents; sisters: Kate Williams, Edith Wade and Alma Rogers; brothers: John Coleman, Jr. and L Ray Porter; son-in-law: Thomas F. Williams; and husband of 20 years – Bush Goins, Jr.

Memorial Contributions may be made to the First Christian Church, 210 N. 5th Street, Ponca City, OK 74601; Hospice of North Central Oklahoma, 1904 North Union, Ponca City, OK 74601; or the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22178, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-2178

Source: Trout Funeral Home