Mary Frances Scruggs
1934 – 2019
Mary Francis Scruggs was born to James and Jewel Davis in Repton, Alabama on 12/7/34. She was the oldest of 3 children, followed by brothers James and Don. She moved throughout the southwest as a child, as her father was a heavy equipment operator who worked on the transcontinental highways. She married Frank Merrill Scruggs in 1951 and had her first child, Maury, in 1952. Her daughter Tanya followed in 1956 and son Steve in 1957. She lived in several places in southern California before settling in Escondido in 1964. She was very close to her sisters-in-law, Gloria Densham and Gwen Cameron.
Mary went to Cosmetology School in 1969 and was such an outstanding student that she was invited to stay on as an instructor. She became a regular in hairstyling competitions in San Diego County, winning several awards. She retired early in 1986 due to difficulty being around chemicals. Mary and Frank retired to Congress, Arizona in 1988, and she vigorously pursued several hobbies, including painting, drawing, and music. She and Frank would often play for local events in Congress. Their archery booth at “Congress Days” was always a favorite of the local kids. She was also very involved in the art club in Wickenburg, AZ, where she and Frank sometimes showed their art at student exhibits. They would often spend time in the great outdoors of AZ while Frank hunted for all types of game. Their relationship had ups and downs, but they grew closer at the end of their lives than ever before. The grandchildren looked forward to summer camping trips with Grandpa and Grandma, enjoying target shooting, playing games, telling jokes, and eating Grandma’s delicious cooking.
When Frank passed away in 2009, Mary relocated to Edmond, OK. She joined a local art studio and focused on pastel portraiture for several years. She also got very involved in Bible study at Faith Bible Church and her knowledge of God and her faith grew rapidly. Mary shared her wisdom freely with all who knew her and especially emphasized gratitude for her blessings, whether small or large. When she began to get sick late in life, she had an unshakeable knowledge that she would be going into the arms of Jesus at the end of her life. She died peacefully at Bradford Village on 3/12/19. She is survived by her step-mother Lois Davis, son Maury and wife Tena, daughter Tanya and husband Michael, and son Steve and wife Grace. Her grandchildren are Aaron and Noel Scruggs, Justin Petkus and Ashley Gray, and Ian, Sean and Jon Scruggs. Her great-grandchildren are Fiona Petkus and Emilia Petkus.
A memorial service will be held at Faith Bible Church, 600 N Coltrane in Edmond, OK on 3/30/19 at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Faithworks of the Inner City, PO Box 95106, OKC, OK 73143, a one on one reading, tutoring and mentoring program for at-risk children living in the Shidler-Wheeler community of southeast Oklahoma City.