Mary Lynette Schilling's Obituary
Mary Lynette Schilling (Simmons) was born November 15, 1926 in rural Pike County, Mississippi, to Ollie Leon Simmons and Texie (Day) Simmons. She was the middle sister of five girls born to the Simmonses.
Mary grew up in Pike County, although as a high school student during WWII, she went to live with an aunt and uncle in Port Hueneme, CA, and later in New Orleans, before returning to graduate with her class at Progress High School in 1945. She then returned to New Orleans, where her parents and younger sisters were living, and worked at the Port of Embarkation during the war. When her parents returned to Pike County after the war, and opened a small café in one end of a building shared with a store, she served as a waitress for the popular establishment. It was there that she met Devon “Dick” Schilling, also a Pike County native and WWII Army veteran then travelling the country as an oil field worker, who visited the store and café. Soon Dick’s visits to the café—and its pretty blond waitress-- were more frequent than trips to the store. Mary and Dick were married in May of 1947.
The couple lived in various locations in the South for the next couple of years. When God blessed them with a son (Leon) in 1949, Dick went back into the Army, which was to be his career until retirement in 1971. As an Army wife, Mary travelled the world with her husband. They had two more sons: John (1955) and Paul (1961.) Some of Dick’s tours were “unaccompanied” and Mary held down the fort in the States and reared the boys during those times. The family was able to accompany Sgt. Schilling on two overseas assignments (Kaiserslautern, Germany 1954-1957 and Friedberg, Germany 1968-1971). Whether in the States or overseas, Mary was an enthusiastic Army wife and parent—involved in chapel, school, and community activities. She was recognized as the Friedberg and United States Army Europe (USAREUR) “Military Wife of the Year” in 1970.
After the Army, she settled with her family into a house in the historic village of DuPont, Washington. In DuPont, she was involved not only in her children’s activities, but in the DuPont Garden Club, Women’s Association, and Protestant Women of the Chapel on Ft. Lewis. In the mid-1970s she embarked upon a career teaching English as a second language, principally to the children of refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, and other Asian countries. She retired from this career in the year 2000. Dick Schilling passed away in 1999. Later, Mary married a gentleman she’d met at church named Kenneth Wesseler. Mr. Wesseler passed away in 2006.
A talented cook and seamstress, Mary enjoyed cooking, crafts (sewing, crochet and other handwork) over the years. “Ma Mary” loved being involved with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren’s lives and interests. She was proud to be a charter member of the First Baptist Church of Lakewood, and an involved member of both the American Legion Auxiliary and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She is survived by son Leon Schilling (Joan) and their daughters Courtney Wheeler and MariClaire Eastabrooks; son John Schilling (Tracy) and their sons Andrew and Alex; son Paul Schilling and his daughter Rachel Schilling; and great-grandchildren Hayden Wheeler, Jessie Wheeler, Logan Wheeler, and Harrison Eastabrooks. Her final resting place will be at Tahoma National Cemetery, with Devon Coleman Schilling, to whom she was married for 52 years.
A memorial service will be held on November 19, 2017 4PM at DuPont Presbyterian Church, 502 Barksdale Avenue, DuPont, WA.
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