Mary Ellen Sapp, 91, of North Logan, Utah passed away June 15,2008 at the Logan Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.
Mary Ellen was born in Connersville, Indiana, December 16, 1916, the youngest daughter of Claude L. and Lulu B. Crosley Mathewson. Her family moved to Guymon, Oklahoma in 1918. She graduated from Guymon High School in 1934 and earned a Bachelors degree from Panhandle State University in 1938.
Mary had a life long love of learning and engaged in post graduate studies at Panhandle State and the University of Oklahoma. She was certified to teach English, History, Home Economics and Library Science and taught in Adams and Tyrone, Oklahoma; Campo, Colorado; Fowler, Rosalia, Valley Center and Chetopa, Kansas High Schools. She was dedicated to her students and was sponsor of many school extracurricular activities such as student newspapers, annuals, cheerleader squads, proms, banquets and she produced and directed theater productions and special events. The Mary Ellen Garden Club was named for her by the Campo, Colorado community.
She married Odes Sapp in 1938 and when they retired from teaching in 1979, fulfilled both their dreams: his of raising Arabian horses and hers of traveling all over the United States and visiting museums and historical sites. Her family can attest that she never saw a historical marker that she was willing to bypass.
In 1988 they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary? and later that year sold their property in Baxter Springs, Kansas and moved to Clarkdale, Arizona. Odes passed away in 1995 and in 2001 she moved to North Logan, Utah.
She is survived by two sons, Odes, Jr. of North Logan, Utah; Joel of Valley Center, Kansas and a daughter, Ellen of Sedona, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, two brothers and three sisters.
The family would like to thank the staff of Logan Nursing and Rehabilitation for their care and concern and in lieu of flowers suggest a memorial donation to the Alzheimers Association.
Grave side services will be held Saturday, June 21 at 1l:00 am at the Tyrone, Oklahoma Cemetery.
Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at
www.allenmortuaries.net