Mary Owen Whitsitt, 91, of Austin went to be with our Lord on October 24, 2011.

Mary was born May 20, 1920 on a farm in Halifax County, VA, the eldest of five daughters of the late Charlie and Josephine Farmer Owen.

She was a 1942 graduate of Virginia Tech as a Home Economics major when the bombing of Pearl Harbor quickly led her to work as an encryptor in Puerto Rico for the US Government. It was there that she met an Army Air Corp pilot, the late Colonel Joe Whitsitt. The Air Force took them all over the world, and they settled in Austin, TX in 1968.

Mary loved sewing but was best known for her fabulous cooking. If you were a good friend, you were lucky enough to receive one of her jars of sweet pickles. Mary was a member of St. John's United Methodist Church where she loved serving in the Homebound Visiting Ministry. She was a member of UMW, Fellowship Sunday School class and Hannah Circle. She loved working at the famous "Pumpkin Patch" of Saint John's UMC, so it is appropriate that her service be during this season. This gracious woman was a humble servant of God and all those who were in need.

Mrs. Whitsitt was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Col. Samuel Joseph Whitsitt, and sisters, Alice Mello and Nancy Peery.

Mrs. Whitsitt is survived by her children, Marvin & Linda Bendele of Austin, Steve & Victoria Whitsitt of Manhattan Beach, CA., Wayne & Brenda Thomas of Cookson, OK.; grandchildren, Brett Bendele, Lisa Bendele, Brian Thomas and great grandchild, Carson Thomas; sisters, Frances Stinespring of Hot Springs, VA. and Gladys Daniel of Nelson, VA.

Memorial Services to celebrate Mary's life will be conducted at ten o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 29th of October 2011, at St. John's United Methodist Church, 2140 Allandale Road, Austin, Texas.

(Note: She and her husband are both buried at the Princeton IOOF Cemetery, Princeton, Indiana.)