Mary Frances Bailey Stoops, April 13, 1920 - Oct. 28, 2015

I think this may be the last picture we took of Mother. Dinah is in the photo above with her daughter, "Tia." Mother passed into eternity to be with God at 95 ½ years. We thank God for each day He gave her to live. Mother lived for God and loved her family and the people around her.
Her favorite Psalm was 103. We love it and love to sing it too.

Dad and Mother raised seven children in the Lord. They were faithful in their Mon. -Sat. 6-7AM daily family devotions to the Lord. Mother was our church janitor. We all joined her on Saturday to finish the job. She saw it as something she did for the Lord. I knew her input in us was much more valuable than all her other work.

Stoops Family April 2, 1961

Norval 46, Mary 41, Fama 18, David 16, 

Mary 14, Stephen 11, Daniel 8, Esther 6, Samuel 2

Mother washed clothes then put them through a ringer. I prayed that those old ringer washers would be extinct before I grew up. My sweet little brother got his arm caught in the ringer when he was four years old. We were away at school. Mother heard Sam screaming, then when he stopped to catch his breath, she thought for a moment that he was fine. Amazingly, Sam had no long-term problem with his arm. I prayed those wringer-washers would be extinct before I grew up.

We had a milk cow, which was usually good when mother was milking her, but once when mother was moving her to another pasture, I saw old Gurnsey break into a run. Mother was holding on to the chain and dragging on the ground behind the run-away cow. [Our brothers had their time to milk her as well.]

I took milk to neighbors who gave us 30 cents per gallon. Mother was faithful to visit all the neighbors surrounding us, and prayed with some at the end of their lives to receive Christ. I pray God had mercy on them.

April 13, 1920 - Oct. 28, 2015

Mary Frances (Bailey) Stoops was born April 13, 1920 and passed away in Clovis, CA October 28, 2015 at the age of 95.

Mary was born in Alto, New Mexico to James and Mary Bailey, the 15th of their 16 children. She was raised on the family farm and after her parents' divorce when she was very young, she picked cotton along with her siblings to help provide for her family.

At age 16, Mary moved to El Monte, CA to attend Holiness Evangelistic Institute Bible School, where she met one of the professors, Darwin Norval Stoops. They married on February 21, 1942. Norval and Mary were blessed with seven children, 29 grandchildren and a growing number of great-great grandchildren. Norval and Mary were dedicated members of Visalia Nazarene Church for over 60 years.

Mary is remembered for her kindness, hospitality, cooking, gardening, faithful family devotions and prayer.

She was survived by her sister, Virginia Bailey, age 101 in the photo above, by her children, Fama Nelson, David Stoops (Sharron), Mary Willbanks (John), Stephen Stoops (Lenora), Dan Stoops (Shari), Esther Seppi (David) and Samuel Stoops (Ruth).