Mary Kysor Slevin
Mary Kysor Slevin
Age 90, of Pennsboro, WV passed away April 11, 2012 at Worthington Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Parkersburg after a brief illness subsequent to a hip fracture.
She was born June 27, 1921 in Mattoon, IL, a daughter of the late Saul Thomas and Essie (Hill) Kysor.
As a small child, Mary moved with her family back to WV, growing up in Pennsboro during the Great Depression. She was educated in the Ritchie County School System and received her RN after nursing training at St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Clarksburg. She served in World War II as First Lieutenant in the Army Nurses Corps, treating the wounded in England, France, and Germany. Lt. Kysor was honorably discharged with the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, and Good Conduct Medal.
After working as a nursing supervisor in the Silver City Hospital in NM, she returned to Ritchie County to serve as its first Public Health Nurse until her marriage to John M. Slevin, also of Pennsboro, April 24, 1948. The newlyweds set up housekeeping in Parkersburg where their children, John Thomas and Laura June, were born respectively in 1948 and 1949. After her children began school, Mary returned to her profession, first as a surgical nurse, at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Ultimately rising to night-shift Nursing Supervisor, she subsequently transitioned to private-practice nursing, where she remained for over a decade. “Nurse Mary” as she was affectionately known, retired from active nursing as the plant nurse at the Parkersburg Corning Glass Works. Throughout her career from Army Nurse and Public Health Nurse, through hospital based, practice-based, and industrial based nursing, Mary identified herself first and foremost as a nurse and long into her retirement it was with that mindset that she counseled her family, friends, and former patients toward good health practice.
After retirement, she and John moved from Parkersburg back to the family farm in Pennsboro, where they raised their granddaughter, Mary Susan. After the high school graduation of Mary Susan and the death of John, her remarkable spirit and strength shown through as she independently “ran the farm,“ recognizing only in her mid 80’s that, perhaps, she was becoming too old to clean gutters and mow hillsides with the lawn tractor. Through this time she became the surrogate grandmother of untold individuals in Ritchie County and elsewhere. We shall all miss her invincible spirit, incredible energy, and warm heart.
Survivors include her son, Dr. John Thomas Slevin (Barbara) of Lexington, KY and daughter Laura June “Dee” Ellis (Eldon Marlow) of Walker, WV, three grandchildren: Mary Susan Keller (Chad), John Robert Slevin and Amie Elizabeth Slevin, and two great grandchildren: Andria Larkin Keller and Andrew Ryan Keller.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Marshall Slevin, brothers: Saul Thomas Kysor Jr. and William Hill Kysor.
Funeral services will be Monday 11:00 AM at the McCullough-Rogers Funeral Home, Pennsboro with Pastor Kelly Martin officiating.
Visitation will be Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 PM.
She will be laid to rest with her husband on the family farm at the convenience of the family.
The family would like thank Scott Hammond for his special love and care he has shown for “Granny” over the last many years.
Community • Ritchie County • Obituaries | In Memory of •
Congratulations to Hunter Ashley for getting a 2nd place in the Discus throw. He may be a Freshman, but he can definately out throw a lot of sophmores, Juniors and seniors. Way to go Hunter. Practice always pays off. Proud of you.