"No Flower should die before its time."Mary Murray McCracken

Mary Murray McCracken died peacefully in her home on July 7th, 2014. She loved her life but felt it was her time and she was ready to go.

"No flower should die before its time." was one of Mary's many "pearls of wisdom" that everyone learned when designing in her flower shop. She insisted on meticulous care and handling of her cut flowers. Each stem had to be given a fresh cut and inserted fully into a generous water source in each arrangement. A lovely design with poor mechanics would not do. It needed to thrive and mature in its designated place. If a blossom was "past its prime" it could not be sold or tossed but its full-blown beauty could still be enjoyed in a vase on the counter. And so it was.

This and other platitudes of Mary's make a beautiful metaphor for her life. It was her childhood dream to work with flowers. She played flower shop on her front porch as a girl. She knew what she wanted to do with her life at an early age and set out to make a beautiful career of it.

Mary was born on April 1st, 1927 in Ramona, Oklahoma to Mollie May Sears and George James Sherrick, both of whom precede her in death. When her father went to town to announce they had a little red-headed baby girl, he was thought to be making an April Fool's joke.

Mary grew up and went to school in Ramona with her three siblings George Henry ("Two-Gun"), Maxine both deceased and her surviving sister, Margaret Ann. They lost their mother when Mary was eight, and her father remarried sometime later to Ruby Wallace, deceased.

Mary is survived by her sister Margaret Audrain and her husband Charles. She is preceded in death by her husbands; James A. Murray, Ray M. Wickham and Charles E McCracken.

From those unions Mary is survived by her son Jim Murray and his wife Dale, from Lumpkin, Georgia, daughter Gaylyn Wattman and her husband Mark from Tulsa, step-daughter Susan Fraser from Redondo Beach, California, step-son Bryan McCracken and his wife Robbie from Tulsa.

She loved her grandchildren all of whom survive her; Brett Murray and his wife Schelly, Jacob Murray, Joe Murray, Gabe Murray and Josh Murray, all from Georgia, Tom Wattman from Tulsa, Frances Rosenau and her husband Zach from Albany, New York, Evan Fraser from Berkeley Hills, California, Johanna Barr and her husband Scott from Bend, Oregon, Meagan McCracken and Ian McCracken, both from Dallas, Texas.

Her great-grandchildren were a tremendous source of pride and joy for Mary. They are Amanda Murray, Sara Beth Murray, Emma Murray, Bella Murray and Hannah Murray, all from Georgia, Asher Rosenau from Albany, New York and Jack Barr from Bend, Oregon.

Nieces and nephews include Molly Gille and husband Craig, Sam Audrain and wife Barb, and Matt Audrain and wife Beverly, great-nieces and nephews Natalie and Rosalyn Gille, Luke and Ivy Audrain. She also has two "bonus" sons, Craig and Mark Wickham from Florida.

Another of her familiar "pearls of wisdom" is that "Every flower deserves its space." She didn't like to see blossoms hidden by other flowers in a design. Too much crowding or layering of flowers prevented the appreciation of each individual blossom as it came into bloom.  So it was with the people in her life. She had a special place in her heart for every member of her family and her friends. Each person was valued for their uniqueness, neither lumped together nor crowded out.

Weary of the overused "in lieu of flowers." language, Mary quipped that upon her passing we should invite those who wish to remember her to send flowers "in lieu of donations" to a loved one of their choosing. She wanted everyone to experience the joy that she knew flowers alone deliver.

Funeral Service will be held at Southminster Presbyterian Church at 2:00 o'clock, Wednesday July 23rd, 3500 South Peoria Avenue.  Committal will be at Oaklawn Cemetery at 4:00 p.m., 1133 East 11th Street.

Friends are cordially invited to join the family at a reception from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the McFarlin Mansion, 1610 South Carson Avenue.




Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel 918-585-1151