Mary Louise Owens

Mary Louise Owens, age 89, of Poplar Bluff, transitioned from her earthly home to her eternal heavenly home on Friday, February 19, 2021. She was born in Greenville, Missouri on January 21, 1932, to Earl and Lillie Strickland.

Mary Lou married the love of her life and best friend, Jerry William Owens, on May 27, 1947. At that time, they were both 15 years young and were very much in love and committed to each other for life. To this union, they had five children, David (Shirley) Owens, Dennis (Brenda) Owens, Cindy Berry, Donna (Keith) Aldridge, Jacqueline (Terry) Henderson; 10 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and a plethora of nieces and nephews.

Mary Lou was predeceased in death by her parents, Earl and Lillie Strickland; her husband, Jerry Owens; her son, David Owens; her daughter, Cindy Berry; her son-in-law, Terry Henderson; her granddaughter, Courtney Bond and her four brothers, Winfred Strickland, Vernon Strickland, Robert Strickland, and Richard Strickland.

Mary Lou was a homemaker and a church secretary. Above all else, she was a devout, God-fearing Christian woman who was steadfast in her beliefs and unwavering in her faith. She loved the Lord and witnessed to most everyone she encountered. She also enjoyed making personal connections with people all around her. She thrived in a doctor’s office or yard sale setting. This gave her the ultimate opportunity to ask people what their last name was, where they are from, and where they went to church. If you needed a prayer warrior, she was on it. In fact, Mary Lou and Verneal had their own little prayer group that met once a week and she had weekly Bible study with Monica.

In her younger years, while her husband was stationed overseas, Mary Lou attended business college. She went on to accept a secretarial position with the Methodist Church in Poplar Bluff.

When Jerry returned to the United States, the family was stationed in Amarillo, Texas; Biloxi, Mississippi; Rantoul, Illinois; Anchorage, Alaska and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. With each stop, it seemed as if the two lovebirds were collecting souvenir token children from each state along their journey. The family moved back to Poplar Bluff in 1969. While moving into their home, they were welcomed to the neighborhood and invited to attend Temple Baptist Church. They joined the church and shortly thereafter, Mary Lou began working as a secretary at Temple Baptist Church for many years. She also served as secretary at the First Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff. Mary Lou could often be found studying the word of God, researching genealogy, playing a good game of solitaire, praying that God’s will be done and reading daily devotionals from multiple sources. She cherished spending time with her family/friends and attending church.

The family will receive friends Wednesday, February 24 from 10 a.m. until time of service at Temple Baptist Church. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. at the church with Dennis Owens and Rev. Steve Patterson officiating. Burial will follow in the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be given to the Gideon Bible Ministry at gideons.org or by calling 1-866-382-4253. This ministry was near and dear to Mary Lou. Other ministries she loved were the Lottie Moon Christmas offering and the Christmas Shoe Box Ministry.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.willowridgefcs.com