CROCKER, Mary Lucille

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Tuesday, July 27, 2010 Mary Lucille Crocker passed away on Tuesday July 13, 2010, in Prescott, Ariz., five days before her 94th birthday. Mary was born July 18, 1916, in Shamrock, Texas, to Bonnie (Rippy) Devine and Francis M. Devine. She moved to Dalhart, Texas, at the age of two. There she spent her childhood and early adulthood years. Mary went to every year of school in Dalhart, Texas, and graduated in the last class that would go 11 years of school instead of 12. Mary's childhood was spent with two sisters and two brothers, almost always making for fun and unforgettable times. Her mom was a homemaker and for some time ran a rooming house for railroad workers. Mary's stepdad worked for years as an engineer for the Rock Island Railroad. After graduation from high school, Mary enrolled in secretarial school, but that didn't last as long as she had intended. She found out that just wasn't for her. She eventually went to work for the Amarillo Army Air field in the sub depot plane repairs area. She really liked that. This was during World War II and, as we all know, the ladies here in the United States were doing their part to support our country. In fact, Mary got the nickname of "Rosie Riveter" during this time. Mary worked there until the end of the war. In 1947, Mary moved to Hudson Falls, N.Y., to be close to her sister and her family. She worked there for General Electric for 12 years. During this time, she learned to ride and loved motorcycles. She and her nephews, Cecil and Francis LaVance, rode together for several years. In 1959, Mary and her niece Marie LaVance moved to Arizona following her nephew, Cecil, where he settled upon graduating from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. She went to work for Motorola and worked there for almost 20 years. She met and married Louis Crocker in 1968. Louis worked as a technician for Univac. Louis and Mary liked traveling and camping. So when they retired that's what they did. They had a travel trailer and saw many wonderful areas. They spent a lot of time in Show Low. After losing Louis in 1987, Mary continued to travel. She and her two sisters, Leopal LaVance and Lestelle Higdon, who were also widowed, traveled many places throughout the United States. As they were finishing one trip, they would plan the next. Mary had been thinking about making a change and thought a retirement community might be her choice. Her nephew, Cecil, had recently moved to Prescott, and he arranged for her to move to Granite Gate. She later moved to Prescott Lakes Senior Community and then to North Star Adult Care Home, where she spent the rest of her days. Mary is survived by two nephews, Cecil, who lives in Prescott, and John LaVance, who lives in Pensacola, Fla. She also has a niece, Marie (LaVance) Evans, who lives in Yuma, Ariz. A celebration of Mary's life will be 2 p.m. Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Unity Church of Prescott, 145 S. Arizona Ave. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contribution to Hospice Family Care of Prescott. Heritage Memory Mortuary is caring for the family. Please visit and sign Mary's guestbook at www.heritagefuneralchapels.com. Information provided by survivors.