Mary Fran was the daughter of Max Irvin BEARD and Mabel Ellen BENNITT. She was 65 when she died. She was the first-born grandchild of Bernice (Griffith) Beard.
Mary Fran grew up in Indiana and Illinois before her father's job took the family to Monterey, Mexico. She went to college in Texas, married a Texan, and lived the rest of her life in Texas. For over 25 years, she lived in Stafford, Texas, on Mulholland Drive.
She married John Walker STEVENS, Jr., on January 25, 1964, in Huntsville, Texas. A son and a daughter were born to the union. The marriage ended in divorce, but she and John found a way to be friends in the last years of her life.
She was the loving and doting grandmother to her grandson.
She loved horses and at one time owned her own horses. Her favorite was "Wesbrook Benfire." He was a Morgan horse, and Mary Fran was convinced that Morgan horses were the finest horses of all. She participated in horse shows and competitions and won many of the competitions.
For over 15 years, Mary Fran battled cancer. It began as breast cancer, and she just kept battling. She died at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.
.....
obituary
(published 6/23/2009 in South Bend Tribune)
Mary Frances Stevens
Feb. 13, 1944 - June 19, 2009
SOUTH BEND - Mary Frances Stevens, 65, of Stafford, TX, formerly of South Bend, died Friday at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. She is survived by her daughter, her son, and her brother. Her parents, Max and Mabel Beard, preceded her in death. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 26th, in Palmer Funeral Home - River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., where friends may visit from 11 AM until time of services. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger.
.....
BURIAL SITE:
The grave site is on the north side of the cemetery, very near the tower at the entrance on the northwest corner of the cemetery. The tower is about 40 yards east of Mary Fran's grave. If you find the tower, you are close to her grave; stay on the same section of grass, and walk toward the trees. Her burial site is diagonally next to the burial site of her mother (whose site is next to Mary Fran's father's site), near the sites of her BEARD grandparents, and close to the site of her uncle, Miles Beard. Reportedly, Mary Fran's burial site had a marker placed a few years after her death.
Mary Fran grew up in Indiana and Illinois before her father's job took the family to Monterey, Mexico. She went to college in Texas, married a Texan, and lived the rest of her life in Texas. For over 25 years, she lived in Stafford, Texas, on Mulholland Drive.
She married John Walker STEVENS, Jr., on January 25, 1964, in Huntsville, Texas. A son and a daughter were born to the union. The marriage ended in divorce, but she and John found a way to be friends in the last years of her life.
She was the loving and doting grandmother to her grandson.
She loved horses and at one time owned her own horses. Her favorite was "Wesbrook Benfire." He was a Morgan horse, and Mary Fran was convinced that Morgan horses were the finest horses of all. She participated in horse shows and competitions and won many of the competitions.
For over 15 years, Mary Fran battled cancer. It began as breast cancer, and she just kept battling. She died at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.
.....
obituary
(published 6/23/2009 in South Bend Tribune)
Mary Frances Stevens
Feb. 13, 1944 - June 19, 2009
SOUTH BEND - Mary Frances Stevens, 65, of Stafford, TX, formerly of South Bend, died Friday at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. She is survived by her daughter, her son, and her brother. Her parents, Max and Mabel Beard, preceded her in death. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 26th, in Palmer Funeral Home - River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., where friends may visit from 11 AM until time of services. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger.
.....
BURIAL SITE:
The grave site is on the north side of the cemetery, very near the tower at the entrance on the northwest corner of the cemetery. The tower is about 40 yards east of Mary Fran's grave. If you find the tower, you are close to her grave; stay on the same section of grass, and walk toward the trees. Her burial site is diagonally next to the burial site of her mother (whose site is next to Mary Fran's father's site), near the sites of her BEARD grandparents, and close to the site of her uncle, Miles Beard. Reportedly, Mary Fran's burial site had a marker placed a few years after her death.
Mary Fran was the daughter of Max Irvin BEARD and Mabel Ellen BENNITT. She was 65 when she died. She was the first-born grandchild of Bernice (Griffith) Beard.
Mary Fran grew up in Indiana and Illinois before her father's job took the family to Monterey, Mexico. She went to college in Texas, married a Texan, and lived the rest of her life in Texas. For over 25 years, she lived in Stafford, Texas, on Mulholland Drive.
She married John Walker STEVENS, Jr., on January 25, 1964, in Huntsville, Texas. A son and a daughter were born to the union. The marriage ended in divorce, but she and John found a way to be friends in the last years of her life.
She was the loving and doting grandmother to her grandson.
She loved horses and at one time owned her own horses. Her favorite was "Wesbrook Benfire." He was a Morgan horse, and Mary Fran was convinced that Morgan horses were the finest horses of all. She participated in horse shows and competitions and won many of the competitions.
For over 15 years, Mary Fran battled cancer. It began as breast cancer, and she just kept battling. She died at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.
.....
obituary
(published 6/23/2009 in South Bend Tribune)
Mary Frances Stevens
Feb. 13, 1944 - June 19, 2009
SOUTH BEND - Mary Frances Stevens, 65, of Stafford, TX, formerly of South Bend, died Friday at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. She is survived by her daughter, her son, and her brother. Her parents, Max and Mabel Beard, preceded her in death. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 26th, in Palmer Funeral Home - River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., where friends may visit from 11 AM until time of services. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger.
.....
BURIAL SITE:
The grave site is on the north side of the cemetery, very near the tower at the entrance on the northwest corner of the cemetery. The tower is about 40 yards east of Mary Fran's grave. If you find the tower, you are close to her grave; stay on the same section of grass, and walk toward the trees. Her burial site is diagonally next to the burial site of her mother (whose site is next to Mary Fran's father's site), near the sites of her BEARD grandparents, and close to the site of her uncle, Miles Beard. Reportedly, Mary Fran's burial site had a marker placed a few years after her death.
Mary Fran grew up in Indiana and Illinois before her father's job took the family to Monterey, Mexico. She went to college in Texas, married a Texan, and lived the rest of her life in Texas. For over 25 years, she lived in Stafford, Texas, on Mulholland Drive.
She married John Walker STEVENS, Jr., on January 25, 1964, in Huntsville, Texas. A son and a daughter were born to the union. The marriage ended in divorce, but she and John found a way to be friends in the last years of her life.
She was the loving and doting grandmother to her grandson.
She loved horses and at one time owned her own horses. Her favorite was "Wesbrook Benfire." He was a Morgan horse, and Mary Fran was convinced that Morgan horses were the finest horses of all. She participated in horse shows and competitions and won many of the competitions.
For over 15 years, Mary Fran battled cancer. It began as breast cancer, and she just kept battling. She died at MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas.
.....
obituary
(published 6/23/2009 in South Bend Tribune)
Mary Frances Stevens
Feb. 13, 1944 - June 19, 2009
SOUTH BEND - Mary Frances Stevens, 65, of Stafford, TX, formerly of South Bend, died Friday at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. She is survived by her daughter, her son, and her brother. Her parents, Max and Mabel Beard, preceded her in death. Services will be held at 1:00 PM Friday, June 26th, in Palmer Funeral Home - River Park, 2528 Mishawaka Ave., where friends may visit from 11 AM until time of services. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, Granger.
.....
BURIAL SITE:
The grave site is on the north side of the cemetery, very near the tower at the entrance on the northwest corner of the cemetery. The tower is about 40 yards east of Mary Fran's grave. If you find the tower, you are close to her grave; stay on the same section of grass, and walk toward the trees. Her burial site is diagonally next to the burial site of her mother (whose site is next to Mary Fran's father's site), near the sites of her BEARD grandparents, and close to the site of her uncle, Miles Beard. Reportedly, Mary Fran's burial site had a marker placed a few years after her death.
