Mary Ellen Downing

Dighton, Kansas

Mary E. Downing, age 91, passed away on Thursday, March 31, 2022, at Peabody Health & Rehab in Peabody, Kansas.  She was born on April 16, 1930, in Peach Orchard, Arkansas, the daughter of Henry Howard and Virland Mae Denton Martin. 

Mary attended services at several Baptist congregations and the Scott City LDS church.   Mary was a Dietician for many years in Lane County, cooking in both Healy and Dighton for the hospital, and in Wichita at Wesley Medical Center, and also opened her own restaurant, Mary’s Point.  Mary also owned and operated Hotel Dighton for over thirty years.

Mary was an avid crafter.  If she was sitting down, it was guaranteed she had a crochet hook in hand and a skein of yarn in her lap.  She also loved cake decorating, sewing, embroidery, quilting, plastic canvas, painting, and woodwork.  Mary and Paul made many miniature wagons and buggy replicas that were sold worldwide.  Mary crocheted hundreds of baby caps and beanies for older kids that were sent to a charity in Africa.  Mary had a passion for genealogy and loved the camaraderie of making connections with other genealogists who she met via ancestry websites and Facebook.

On January 25, 1947, she married J.W. Scott in Randolph County, Arkansas.  He passed away on September 4, 1995.  On May 16, 1973, she married Paul B. Downing in Charleston, South Carolina.  He passed away on March 13, 1983.

Survivors include Daughter - Virgea & Mike Smith of Hugoton, Kansas, Daughters-In-Law - Judy Scott of Dighton, Kansas, Carol Scott of Andover, Kansas, Sisters - Bonnie Ivy of Pocahontas, Arkansas, Beulah Sparks of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Nine Grandchildren, Twenty-five Great Grandchildren, Thirty-four Great Great Grandchildren, and Five Great Great Great Grandchildren.

Mary was preceded in death by her parent; sisters Zella Mae White, Fonda Pearl Martin, Loretta Fern Martin, and Theida Vondaline Young; brothers Clifford Oscar, Jesse Monroe, Clyde Donald “Donnie”, and Tonice Theodore “Teddy” Martin; husband Paul Downing, ex-husband J.W. Scott; sons James Scott and Rickie Scott; grandchild Denise Smith Bartel, great-grandchild Braxton Bice; great-great-grandchild Scarlett Bauer.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 4, 2022, at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas.  Funeral services will be live-streamed at www.priceandsons.com.

Interment will be at Healy Cemetery, Healy, Kansas.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association in care of Price & Sons Funeral Homes, PO Box 553, Scott City, Kansas, 67871.

Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m until 5:00 p.m. Sunday at Price & Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Kansas, 67871.