Obituary of Mary Clark

Mary Alice Clark, 97, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 12, 2014 in her home in Toledo, OH where she resided for the past nine years. Mary Alice was born on September 18, 1916 in Tuscaloosa, AL. She was the daughter of Richard and Mary (Crawford) Madison, the granddaughter of Zack and Winnie (Gould) Crawford and the great-granddaughter of Clem and Amelia Crawford. She attended Alabama State in Montgomery, Alabama and also Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. She met and later married Irvin Clark on January 4, 1946. They moved to Monroe, MI from Chicago, IL in the late 1940's. She worked for Gould Battery Company for 19 years and ended her working years at Ford Motor Company in Monroe, MI. She was a member of Second Baptist Church and also The Eastern Star. Mary Alice was a joy to be around. She was humorous, quick witted, had a great memory and a strong faith in God. She was the family historian, an avid homemaker, enjoyed traveling, family gatherings, looking at family photos and solving crossword puzzles. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, 8 brothers and 2 sisters. She leaves to cherish her memory a son, Joe Dean (Denise) Martin of Toledo, OH; 7 grandchildren, Sheral Pennywell of Clinton Township, MI; Valencia (James) Anderson of Farmington Hills, MI; Myron (Kim) Bell of Charlotte, NC; Reginald (Candice) Allen of Atlanta, GA; Montrice Martin, Fonsa C. Bell and Antione Martin all of Toledo OH; 4 nephews, Willie (Ernestine) Johnson, Charles Michael (Penny) Madison, Sr. both of Monroe, MI; Eugene (Doris) Garrett of Belleville, MI and Isaac Morgan of Philadelphia, PA; 2 nieces, Fannie (Charles) Hollins of Elk Grove, CA and Patricia Garrett of Detroit, MI; 17 great-grandchildren, 4 great-great-grandchildren and host of other family and friends. Friends may gather from 3:00pm until 8:00pm, Wednesday, September 17, 2014 at Merkle Funeral Service, South Monroe, (formerly Bennett Funeral Services) 14567 South Dixie Highway (734) 241-7070. A Celebration of Her Life will take place at 11:00am on Thursday, September 18, 2014 also at Merkle's with Bishop Rance Allen of New Bethel Bountiful Blessings Church of God in Christ eulogizing and Reverend Allen C. Overton of Second Missionary Baptist Church sharing scripture and the obituary. Procession will follow to Woodland Cemetery in Monroe for burial. Online guests may leave words of inspiration and comfort, share a photo, or send a floral arrangement by visiting www.merklefs.com and then selecting the Online Tributes page.