Mary Grace Purl

Biography

To view the Funeral and Graveside Service for Mary Grace Purl, please click on the following link:
Funeral Service at Jay Chapel and Graveside Service at Arbor Vitae Cemetery

Beloved wife, mother and grandmother, Mary Grace Purl died Saturday, January 23, 2010 in Madera at the age of 86. Mary Grace was born October 13, 1923 in Madera and was the only child of Wilbur and Naomi Grace Leggett. Her family has been in the Madera-Merced area since the mid 1800's. The Leggett family moved to Madera from Merced in 1894, and owned a jewelry store and a roller skating rink. Charles Leggett, Mary Grace's grandfather, coached the Madera Champion Roller Polo Team, owned and operated an Opera House and Leggett's Smoke House.

Her father, Wilbur, was born in Merced in 1891 and moved to Madera in 1894. He graduated from Madera schools and attended St. Mary's College. He left college and played professional baseball with the Detroit Tigers for three years and he served during World War I in France. Upon Wilbur's return from the war, he married Naomi Grace Latham in Madera at Trinity Episcopal Church in 1921. Wilbur owned Leggett Men's Store in the Alta Hotel Building, but lost everything in a fire in 1930. Wilbur sold his interest in the store and then worked as an accountant for many businesses in Madera. In October 1948, Wilbur and James Lesan opened an accounting business in the 100 block of North D Street, which served Madera businesses for many years.

Her mother, Naomi Grace, was one of two daughters of the early Latham family of Madera. The Latham family lived on Highway 145 and grew walnuts and grapes, later moving to North A Street near Trinity Episcopal Church. Her father worked as a foreman for the Sugar Pine Lumber Company, and the Latham family purchased the Leggett Smoke House in 1929 from the Leggett family and renamed it Latham's Smoke House. Naomi Grace first worked for the Bank of Italy, and then was a teacher for over 30 years in Madera schools. Mary Grace took pride in the fact that her family had been in the area for many generations and was a wealth of knowledge of Madera history.

Mary Grace attended Lincoln Grammar School and graduated from Madera Union High School in 1941, where she was the first female drum major for the high school band. She attended Fresno State College for one year and graduated from Armstrong University in Berkeley in 1944. While at Armstrong, she was affiliated with the Beta Sigma Delta sorority. After graduation, she worked for Shell Oil Company in San Francisco.

While attending college, Mary Grace met the love of her life, Emmett Purl, at a dance in Berkeley. Her beautiful red hair caught Emmett's eye and she was so much fun to be around, Emmett recalled. Emmett was a Navy cadet at St. Mary's College and then served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. They were married January 14, 1945 in Emmett's home town of McComb, Mississippi and soon were stationed at several bases on the East Coast before Emmett was sent to the Pacific Theater.

After the war was over, Emmett and Mary returned to Madera where they made their home. Their son and daughter were born and they devoted their lives to raising them. She worked for the Madera County District Attorney's office as a secretary to the District Attorney Lester Gendron. Mary Grace took pride in her home and taking care of her family. Emmett and Mary Grace's marriage was a true partnership built on honesty, faith, devotion and true love of one another. Together, they opened Purl's Sheet Metal in 1952 and Mary Grace was an integral part of all aspects of the business, from business partner to bookkeeper to receptionist, all the while taking meticulous care of her home and family.

Family was truly the most important thing in Mary Grace's life. She stayed home to 'mind the children' when they were young. She was supportive of every activity of her children's lives. She was a room mother, supported her son in band and Boy Scouts and her daughter in Campfire, Bluebirds, lettergirls and dance. She loved to sew and knit, sewing many band and lettergirls uniforms and knitting afghans for weddings and new babies in the family. She attended every parade, every competition and baked thousands of cookies over the years. She was truly the best mom.

She and Emmett enjoyed entertaining family and friends at the Sugar Pine cabin they built together. Mary Grace was a fabulous cook, famous for her cookies, lemon cake and leg of lamb. The dinner table would groan during family holiday feasts with all she had made for her family. She and Emmett were members of the Madera Golf and Country Club, and their love of golf took them on many golf trips around the world with special friends. Mary was past Captain of the Madera Golf and Country Club Ladies Group. She also loved card games, especially Gin Rummy, bridge and pinochle. She remained close with many friends that she had grown up with and helped plan every high school reunion for the class of 1941 for 60+ years. She loved dancing and music, especially Glenn Miller. Her faith was an important part of her life and she was an active life member of Trinity Episcopal Church. She loved animals, especially her dogs Jenny, Barika, Molly and later, Pokey. She completed crossword puzzles in pen and was a voracious reader, especially of non-fiction and mysteries. In her later years, Mary Grace volunteered at the Madera County Historical Society and was a Life Member.

She adored her grandchildren and eventually, great-grandchildren, showering them with love and attention. She was so proud of each and every one of them, and had a way of making sure each of them feel special, whether it be with a hug, phone call or special card with a $2 bill tucked inside.

Mary was a Charter Member of the Madera Rainbow Girls and Past President of the St. Margaret's Guild. While she was a tough woman on the outside, her strength and love for her family, love of her country, for life and for her values and generosity ran deep. She was the epitome of grace and class and she instilled the importance of hard work, dependability and kindness in her family. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Emmett died in August 1998, and part of her did, as well. Mary Grace is survived by her son, Michael and his wife, Mickie of Madera; her daughter, Melinda Davis of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. She is survived by her grandchildren, Andrea Wasson and her husband Chuck of Salinas, Kerry Wiles and her husband Matt of Madera, Erik Freund of Old Town Alexandria, VA, Derrick Purl and his wife Tiffany, of Glide, Oregon, and Deanne Graham and her husband Jeremy of Fresno. She is also survived by her seven great grandchildren, Jocelyn Kelzer and Nolan Johnson of Salinas, Joshua Wiles of Madera, Lillian and Levi Purl of Glide, Oregon, and Bryson and Aubrey Graham of Fresno.

Memorials can be made to the Madera County Historical Society, P.O. Box 150, Madera, CA 93639; Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, 420 East 4th Street, Madera, CA 93638 or Children's Hospital Central California, 9300 Valley Children's Place, Madera, CA 93638.

Visitation will be held at Jay Chapel on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 from 2:00 to 8:00 PM. Funeral Service will be held Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 1:00 PM at Jay Chapel with interment to follow at Arbor Vitae Cemetery in Madera.