1926 – 2014

AUBURN — Mary Vonlue McEwen, 88, of Lisbon Falls, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 27, at Clover Health Care, with her family at her side.

She was born in Washington, Ind., on Aug. 1, 1926, a daughter of the late George and Mildred (Davis) Ward Jr. She was a graduate of Glendale High School, Class of 1944. After high school, she joined the U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps and graduated as an RN from Protestant Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind.

Her last six months of training were at Tacoma Indian Hospital in Tacoma, Wash. She specialized in serving Indian patients who had tuberculosis. She was a head nurse and supervisor at Deaconess for a year.

She relocated to Maine in 1956 and married her loving husband, Bryce W. McEwen, in Bowdoinham on Oct. 28 of that same year, and they started a family together.

Mary was an active member of Court Street Baptist Church in Auburn for over 50 years, serving as a teacher, on the Board of Missions and Deaconate Board, and others. However, her love of missions was her favorite, filling requests of missionary needs in the United States and overseas.

She worked at both local hospitals doing private nursing and at the Lamp Nursing Home in Lisbon for 23 years, until her retirement in 1988.

She will always be remembered for her love and devotion to sending cards and letters to family and friends for all occasions for when she couldn’t be there in person and praying daily for family and friends and those in need. Unfortunately, declining health kept her from visiting folks in nursing homes, which she enjoyed. She also enjoyed her flowers, gardening, sewing, reading and watching birds. She will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her children, Nancy McEwen of Massillon, Ohio, Sue Rioux and husband, Michael, of Durham and Brian McEwen and wife, Tammi, of Sanford. She also leaves behind four grandchildren, Krystle Rioux of Westbrook, Kelsey Rioux and her husband, Matthew Parker, of Georgetown, Texas, and Derek and Hilary McEwen of Sanford; as well as a sister, Edith Helms, of Warner Robins, Ga.; a brother, Virgil L. Ward, of Washington, Ind.; a stepbrother, George Summers, and stepsister, Rita Shake, of Washington, Ind.; a sister-in-law, Ruby Tufts and her husband, the Rev. Lester, of New York; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

She was predeceased by her loving husband of 41 years, Bryce McEwen; her stepmother, Emma Ward; two stepbrothers, Jay and Hugh Summers; and a grandson, Tyler James McEwen.

You are invited to share your thoughts, condolences and fond memories of Mary through her guest book at www.crosmanfuneralhome.com.

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