Below is a message I recieved from relatives in California who was with my Great aunt when she passed on to her maker and to her family members waiting for her. I wanted to pass this on to the list as she was the last child living of Reverand Charles T. Gifford and Harriet Direxa (Rowan) Gifford my gg grandparents. IN MEMORY OF MY GREAT AUNT: Mary Mabel Faye Gifford, daughter of Rev. Charles Tabor and Harriett Direxa (Rowen) Gifford, was born March 17, 1903 in Gifford, Iowa. Her father who operated Gifford General Store and pastored the Gifford Methodist Church died in 1911. In 1913 Mary moved with her family to Marshalltown, Iowa where she attended the Marshalltown Schools and graduated from Marshalltown Business College. She worked at a secretary and bookkeeper for several local merchants. On July 15, 1925 Mary married Sidney LeRoy (Roy) Everist and they moved to Eldora, Iowa, where they operated the Everist Oil Company until 1927 when they moved to Marshalltown to operate Roy's father's service station. On July 4, 1928 they moved to Mason City, Iowa where they operated several different businesses until Sept. 1950 when they moved to Ocean Beach, California. In 1962 she completed her high school education. Roy died May 12, 1958. Mary moved to Anaheim in 1968 and in 1994 she moved to her daughter, Billie's home in LaHabra. Mary was a member of Wesley Methodist Church, Mason City, Ia. , Point Loma Methodist Church from 1950 to 1968. She became a member of Anaheim United Methodist Church on Sept. 22, 1968. She was Women's District treasurer for many years. She was a member of Morning Squares. She made many items for the church bazaar. She was also a member of Anaheim Senior Citizen Center, and Partners in Chime. She made many Christmas stockings for family members as well as friends. She operated a computer and sent email to all her children and other family members. Mary had several hospitalizations beginning November 1998 and had a stroke on January 19, 1999. On January 21, 1999 she entered Berryman Health East Whittier where she passed away April 2, 1999. Happy to have shared Mary's life are her daughters, Lois Everist Harder, Sioux Falls, SD and Wilmyth (Billie ) Crowder, La Habra; her 3 sons and their spouses: Kempton and Margaret Everist, LaGrange, CA; Rev. Carroll and Dixie Everist, Mulvane, KS and Rev. Burton and Norma Everist, East Dubuque, IL. ; 14 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and 10 great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Roy, an infant daughter, Harriet Winona Everist ; three grandsons , Sidney Le Roy Everist, Guy Carroll Everist and Emmett Kenneth Crowder, Jr. , two great granddaughters, Jennifer Joy Cooper and Don and Dee Harder's baby girl.