Mary Harvey Prescott Stanley Brim, 89, of Wellington, Texas, passed away on Dec. 11, 2024, where she had resided on the Brim Family farm.
Mary was born in Poulsbo, Wash. on July 18, 1935, to the late Stuart Rogers Stanley and Elizabeth Perry Read Stanley. She had a brother, Randy, and a sister, Penny.
After her father, Stuart, passed away in World War II, her mother, Elizabeth, decided to pursue a nursing degree at Cornell University, moving the family to New York state. During this time, Mary recounted memories of riding horses through Central Park and taking the subway downtown to buy hot dogs. While living out east, Mary would spend summer breaks in Florida and Georgia with her aunt and uncle.
When her mother, Elizabeth, completed her nurse’s training, the family returned to Bremerton, Wash., where Mary attended high school. It was here that Mary met her future husband, Burl, a marine corpsman, while working at a local Cinema theater in this military town. Burl then deployed to Korea, and Mary left to attend Colorado Women’s College in Denver, Colo., completing her degree in early childhood development.
Returning from Korea in 1953, Burl and Mary met in San Diego and then, drove to Wellington, Texas, to meet Burl’s parents, John and Roxy, at the Brim family farm. On the way, they stopped in Clovis, N.M., where they married on Dec. 19, 1953, by the justice of the peace. Burl and Mary were married for 62 years.
They eventually settled in Canyon Texas, where they had six children, Burl John Jr., Shelley Elizabeth, Shannon Read, Mary Katrina, Heather Lee and Bary Kendall. During those years, Mary dedicated herself to her family, creating a home and raising children.
In 1969, Burl and Mary moved to Ashland, Ore., where Burl took a position as Chair of the Department of Education at Southern Oregon College. Mary took a job in nearby Medford, Ore. at Sears department store, where she ultimately worked for 20 years, retiring in 1991.
During this time, they were active in the academic and artistic communities of the area, making many lifelong friendships and connections. Following their retirements, they returned to Wellington, back to Burl’s childhood home on the Brim Family Farm.
On the farm, they spent time cultivating a wildlife refuge and bird marsh, caring for their cows, which they considered to be part of their family, and were actively engaged in the Wellington community.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Burl Sr., in 2016; their daughter, Shannon, in 2000; a grandson, Randall, in 2008; and her brother, Randy, in 2018.
She is survived by her sister, Penny Nelson, of Bremerton, Wash.; her sister-in-law, Melanie Stanley, of Poulsbo, Wash.; her five children; 12 grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren: son Burl Jr. and wife Julie, of Wellington; daughter Shelly, of Wellington, and her sons, Josh and wife Stephanie, of Lubbock, Texas, and Eric and wife Jasmine, of Wellington,; daughter Shannon’s children, Whitney of Chico, Calif., Brady and wife Jessica, of Newport, Maine and Sterling and wife Hadley, of Santa Monica, Calif.; daughter Mary Katrina and her husband Charlie, of Fairbanks, Alaska, and their children, Aly and husband Patrick, of Fairbanks Alaska, Sayre and wife Leslie, of Dayton, Ohio, Kennan and husband Joey, of Moscow, Idaho, and Brayana and husband Will, of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughter Heather, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and her daughter Shauday; and son Bary and wife Colleen, of Wellington, and their sons, Josh and wife Tanya, of Lexington, Ken., Clayton and wife Lisa, of Pierce, Colo., and Kendall, of Ashland, Ore. Mary is also survived by her nieces, nephews and their families.
The family is planning a memorial gathering to honor Mary in the spring 2025 to be held at the Brim Family Farm. We will celebrate Mary and Burl’s years of life together and their commitment to their family. Event information will be made available closer to the occasion.
