Mary Helen Gagan

Mary Helen (Shorty) Adcock Gagan was born January 25, 1939, in rural Ramona, Oklahoma and passed peacefully from this life on May 6, 2024 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma surrounded by her loving family. She was the second of twelve children born to Elwood and Helen (Harris) Adcock. Mary loved her childhood and spoke many times of growing up with Ruby and Kay, raising their younger siblings. The stories they could tell! Among the most memorable things she told on one of the many road trips with Janie and Benne, was when she and Kay made dinner and delivered to their daddy in the hayfield. They had borrowed Mike and Ruby’s pickup and on the way home, they passed Uncle Joe’s house going a little too fast. They had kids riding in the front and back when she rolled it in the loose gravel. She said she threw kids everywhere. Thankfully, no one was hurt badly. Mary never drove fast in the gravel again but she did pass that trait on to her kids. Four out of five may have rolled vehicles in their earlier years. Throughout Mary’s childhood, she learned to raise and dress chickens, cook and sew and that was when her unstoppable work ethic began. She was always grateful for the time, learning and love she received from her Grandmother Harris. She loved all her grandparents dearly. Mary attended Ramona Public Schools from kindergarten through high school, graduating with the Class of ‘57. Within a couple of months of the end of her senior year, specifically on March 26, 1957, she married the love of her life, Richard Gagan while he was on leave from the Army. Richard was stationed in Germany and she didn’t see him again for 18 months. During this time, Mary kept herself busy writing letters to Richard, working at Cities Service and helping her mother-in-law Mildred in her laundromat. When Richard returned, they started their family having Burr, Janie and Neci in just shy of three years. Four years later came Renee. Shortly after that, they built a home in rural Oglesby where they had big gardens and raised their kids for over 10 years. Richard being on the road a lot, Mary took care of the house and kids. What a treat for her! When Renee started school, she went to work part-time at Safeway. Shortly after that, she began her 20 year career at Reda Pump as a production analyst. During this time of their lives, they got a big surprise named Raymond to round out the bunch. In 1979, they bought the “place on the hill” in Ramona and lived the rest of their lives there. Ruby, Mary and Kay built a restaurant in Ramona and showcased to Washington and surrounding counties their culinary skills and pie and bread-making magic which they became famous for. Many, many loaves of homemade bread and pies with mile-high meringue were cranked out of that kitchen. When the restaurant was sold, they still donated pies to every request made for any cause, benefit, funeral or a friend in need. They always wanted to know what they brought at auctions too. Mary was active for many years in the Ramona Chamber of Commerce. She enjoyed Christmas shopping for the local children and always trying to help improve the town. After retirement, Mary and Kay would load their trusty steeds Harley and Utah in the trailer early in the mornings and work cattle with family on various local ranches, mainly with brother Dan. You could always count on them to have lunch already prepared and a bunch of grandkids with their horses in the trailer too. Mary enjoyed watching her grandkids in sports and was very proud of them all. Be it ranch rodeos, softball, baseball, basketball, it didn’t matter. You could hear her whooping in the stands. In her later years, she didn’t travel too much to the great grands but always kept up with them all. She also liked the OU Sooners and Dallas Cowboys and would refer to the players by their first names, as if they came over for dinner all the time. Richard and Mary raised huge gardens. Mary was proud that most of her meals consisted of everything home-grown and homemade. She passed her love of cooking to all her kids, baking to her girls and pie-making techniques to anyone who wanted to learn. Most recently, with the help of granddaughter Sasha, she wrote and published a cookbook of all her kids and grandkids recipes. They sold out at 350 copies and had others waiting for a reprint. She was so extremely happy with their creation. Mary spear-headed many “blanket parties” where they produced over 1000 blankets for children at St. Jude’s in honor of her grandson, Shane. She also spent many hours during covid, sewing masks for anyone that needed one. Her group made over 10,000 masks. She was a workhorse for sure. Mary was proceeded in death by her loving husband of 47 years, Richard, and grandson Shane Ray Foreman. She is survived by her five children, her favorite Burr (Theresia) Gagan, Janie (Benne) Allen, Neci (Bogue) Foreman, Renee Gagan (Monty) and Raymond (Angie) Gagan. Mary has fifteen grandchildren and seventeen great-granchildren. She will be missed by her eleven siblings, Rubyane Burkhart, Kay Miller, Dan Adcock (Karen), Bob (Glenda) Adcock, Nellie (Tommy) Morgan, Frank (Sandi) Adcock, Sherrie Battles, Moni (Richard) Heinrich, Becky (Lester) Gagan, Robin Highsmith and Barbie (Jerry) Wright Mary was fierce and tough, even until the end. She loved large and had so much compassion for her entire family, leaving a huge hole in the hearts of her multitude of nieces, nephews, their spouses, kids and their kids who all looked up to and loved her dearly. Her many friends and community will miss her greatly as well. Services for Mary will be Friday, May 10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the Caney Valley High School Gymnasium, Ramona. Pall bearers will be her grandsons Chad Allen, EJ Gagan, Trey Madden, Corbin Foreman, Tristen Gagan, Troy Gagan and Trent Gagan. Burial immediately afterwards in the Ramona Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her honor to St. Judes Children’s Research, American Cancer Society or The Journey Home in Bartlesville.

Mary Helen Gagan

January 25, 1939 - May 6, 2024