Mary Louise Millard Stone (Mary Lou), 96, died Sunday, June 02, 2019, at Dugan Memorial Home in West Point. She was born December 15, 1922, in West Point to Raymond G. Millard, Sr., and Lochie T. Millard of West Point. She often said that her greatest blessing was being born into a loving Christian home. She was a graduate of West Point High School and attended Mississippi State College for Women. In 1946 she married John H. Stone, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. Their Navy life took them from coast to coast and Mary Lou told everyone that when the ship sailed she was the last person waving from the dock and the first person the crew saw when they returned to port. After leaving the Navy Mary Lou began her life as an enthusiastic corporate wife and was always excited about the next move and a new city. She and John moved 15 times during John’s career, but Mississippi always called them and vacations and holidays meant a trip home to West Point and Okolona. They retired to their Okolona farm in 1989. Mary Lou loved her family and her wonderful friends, playing bridge, and reading. She brought laughter and a positive attitude to everyone she knew.
A celebration of life service will be held at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 5, 2019, at Okolona First United Methodist Church. A private family burial will follow at Odd Fellows Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Okolona Chapel of Holland Funeral Directors.
Survivors include; two daughters, Susan Schultz (Steve) and Mimi Curtis (Mike), all of Okolona; one sister, Idanelle Stone Paternostro of Okolona; three grandchildren, John Douglas Curtis (Nicole) of Nashville, TN, Amy Gibson (Ben) of Anchorage, AK, and Lindsay Vidrine (Mike) of Norman, OK; three great-grandchildren, Grayson Vidrine, Holten Gibson, and Kayla Gibson; one sister-in-law, Myra Stone of Tupelo; a host of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband; John H. Stone, her parents; brothers, Raymond G. Millard Jr., Randolph T. Millard, brother-in-law Richard E. Stone and nephews, Ray Millard and Jeff Jones. Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmy Bigham, Joe Ellis, Harvey Fisher, Donald Ray Jacobs, Bill Jessberger, Joe Ellis, and Jerry Morgan. Memorials may be made to Dugan Memorial Home, 26894 E Main Street, West Point, Mississippi, 39773.
