Mary Ann Mercer was born in Guntersville, Alabama to R.B. and Eloise Norrell. Mary Ann graduated from Guntersville High School in 1957. At the age of 19, she married the love of her life, Jerry Mercer, of Piedmont, Alabama while in school at Snead State College in 1959. Mary Ann and Jerry were located in Huntsville when Jerry Mercer, Jr. was born in July of 1960. Mary Ann worked for Sears until retirement. Upon retirement from Sears, she worked with the team at Homes and Land Magazine for more than 10 years. Mary Ann was an extremely friendly and polite businesswoman who worked diligently to always make sure she treated people as Jesus stated in the Golden Rule… just as she wanted to be treated.
Mary Ann passed many wonderful traits on to her family and friends. Her smile and laugh were infectious. As a mom, she lived for her children and taught them how to politely greet everyone they met and treat them kindly. As a co-worker and manager, she was loved by all. She won an award in the 1980’s from a local television station after being nominated by her fellow employees at Sears for being the most loving, caring example with her smiling greetings and for being a tremendous listener.
Mary Ann was a loving member at Mayfair Church of Christ where she taught babies in their first Sunday-school class for thirty years. Mary Ann, not a very good singer, sang to her class each Sunday. She would tell everyone that babies don’t need you to sing well, they just want to hear your voice and know you love them.
Mary Ann suffered many years from colon cancer, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and other side effects from these diseases. She was cared for by a wonderful team of doctors from Huntsville including her friend, Dr. Jeremy Hon, Dr. Michael Brown, Dr. Richard Spera, Dr. Lon Haskell, and Dr. Lon Raby. For many years, she travelled monthly for a blood treatment for her lymphoma and was cared for by Dr. John Zic and nurse, Janis Griffis at Vanderbilt University. Our family would like to thank the team above for the many additional years they added to her life which allowed us more time to receive her wisdom and love.
Mary Ann “Grammy’s” greatest legacy will be her children and grandchildren. Over the years of her illness, they were able to witness the strongest trust in our God imaginable. They witnessed love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They saw a positivity that smiled through surgeries, seizures and the endless itching. No matter how sick she was, “Gram” always made sure to smile and tell her grandbabies she loved them “a bushel and a peck with a hug around the neck, barrel and a heap, talkin’ in my sleep about you!” Now, we say goodbye and say Grammy, we love you.
Mary Ann Mercer is survived by her son, Jerry Mercer, Jr. and wife, Connie; and her daughters, Gwyn Reeser and husband, Ike, and Nancy Farris and husband, John; and six wonderful grandchildren, Becky Mercer Greene and husband, Drew, Paul Reeser, Isaac Reeser and wife, Mackenzie, Allie Reeser, Andrew Farris and Anna Farris.
Visitation will be from 11am to 1pm Monday, May 18 at Mayfair Church of Christ. The funeral service will immediately follow at 1pm at the church with Dr. Gary Bradley and Randy Fowler officiating. A private family burial will be held at a later date.
