Mary Ruth

Marcher

Mary Ruth Marcher, 96, entered peacefully into eternal rest with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, September 20th, 2025, with her family by her side.

She was born in Ruble, Missouri, on December 2, 1928, the eighth child of Henry Cecil Tilley and Elvina Moses Tilley.

Mary was a hard-working, loving, single mom of two children, Clinton and Sonya Elaine.  She was an excellent bookkeeper and won numerous awards for her meticulous skills with Ford Motor Company. Later in life, she worked many years at Paramount Cap Factory, from which she retired.

Mary was also a loving and favorite aunt to her many nieces and nephews.  She introduced many of them to her love of Alfred Hitchcock movies, and Dog the Bounty Hunter!  She considered herself a terrible cook, but she sure loved to eat, and she shared many Sunday dinners and family gatherings at Karen's house where she was the life of the party.  Known as the "fun aunt,"  she had a quick wit, and a story to tell, and was always up for an adventure.  She never met a snack she didn't like, (although she did hate the lamb Charity brought one year for Easter!)

She painted along with Bob Ross, loved to decorate for each season, had more knicknacks "than a fly's got eyes," and was an amateur writer.  She wrote for her church paper, and she compiled a series of short stories about herself and her siblings growing up on The Tilley Farm.

Mary loved Jesus, (but she did cuss a little in her later years.) She taught Sunday School, VBS, volunteered at church camp and enjoyed going to Bible studies.

She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sonya Elaine Purvis; sisters Genevieve, Peachie, Gertie, and Lillian; and brothers Felix, Tyman (Tite,) Charles (Dood,) and Donald (Toby.)

She is survived by her son, Clinton Marcher of Oklahoma City, OK, one son-in-law, Dan Purvis of Yukon, OK, one granddaughter, Danielle Vann of Katy, TX, three grandchildren, Delaney, Madison and Chappell, one sister, Shirley Kerr of Ellington, MO, and a host of nieces and nephews, many of whom considered her their "extra mom."

She will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her, but we know she is having the time of her life in Heaven, with a chicken leg in one hand and a Little Debbie snack in the other, and the temperature is finally "just right!"

Visitation will be Wednesday, September 24th at 10:00, with service following at 11:00 at McSpadden Funeral Home in Ellington, with Bro. Doug Massie officiating. Burial will be in Helvey Cemetery.