Mary was born on March 30th, 1933. She was born in Alabama but raised in Columbus, Georgia, and was the only child of her parents, MB Wilborn and Annie Bell Wilborn. Her mother, Annie Bell, was the eldest of 12 children, and sadly, she passed at the young age of 33. Mary often spoke about the difficulty of losing her mother at such a young age. Losing her mother was one of several factors that later made her choose to move to Chicago. Other family members had already moved here, which also helped make the transition

Mary was a key sales representative at Montgomery Ward for many years. Her hard work caught the attention of the CEO at the time, Bernard Brennan. During her tenure at Montgomery Ward, she was highlighted in one of the local newspapers and was well respected by her peers. Mary retired from this job after 15 years and a lifetime of working. She took this time in retirement to enjoy her family and friends.

Mary was a people person; she made friends everywhere she went. She often spoke about how much she loved being around people and could converse with anyone, no matter who they were. There wasn't a person on this earth that she was afraid to speak to. One of the many things she loved to talk about was sports!

She was a big Chicago Bears fan but also loved baseball and tennis. She could talk sports with the best of them!

Mary was a fashionista. She loved clothes, especially fitted pencil skirts and high-heeled shoes. She had a strut when she walked, and one arm was always swinging! She was also strong, both mentally and physically.

Mary was a person you could lean on and trust that she would hold you up. She was truly the strongest person we knew. She always told us, "You gotta be able to help yourself." She was adamant about being self-sufficient and doing things on her own.

Here are a few other things about Mary:

She was a good cook. She was a human GPS but never had a driver's license. She had a great memory, and she was an extremely organized person. She believed in paying her debts and paying them on time.

When she could no longer manage it, she would hunt Brenda and Bonnie down to make sure things were still getting paid on time! You better believe we are going to pay off her credit cards! She believed in keeping a little cash on the side. She always said, "Don't let your left hand know what the right is doing!" Mary was great at math; she could add numbers in her head. She was bossy. She was also friendly. During her stints in rehab, when she felt good, she would be rolling around the rehab center, checking on people to ensure they were okay.

She often said, "Your word is your bond. Say what you mean and mean what you say."

She was our family's greatest supporter and beamed with pride over all our accomplishments. She loved her church and would come by whatever transportation she could get. As it got harder these last few years, she would ask us to bring her whenever she felt good. If she couldn't make it, she was faithful online. Mary believed in tithing and the power of prayer. She often reminded us that she lifted us in her prayers every day. She was our strength and our warrior until the end. She took her last breath in hospice at her eldest daughter's home, surrounded by family, on Saturday, September 6, at 2:26 pm.

Mary leaves behind her two daughters: Yvonne Henderson Decker (Husband Kerry Ferris), and Brenda McDaniel.

Two granddaughters: Tonya Henderson James (Husband Asa James), and Candace McDaniel Delgado (Husband Jeffery Delgado). 2 great-grandchildren: Gabriel Marcellus James, and Lydia Delgado She also leaves behind a host of cousins, one uncle, and loving friends.