Mary Ledbetter

Mary Olene Ledbetter was a generous and strong individual who worked hard, danced hard and lived a full 96 years with beauty and determination. She was born to Jerry Tom Ledbetter and Viola Fletcher on October 19, 1919 (that’s a lot of 19’s!) She loved Grant, Alabama where she was born and raised until she ventured out to California in her twenties. Soon she found work at American Airlines where she met Howard Hughes as he tested his planes. She also saw such celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Laurel and Hardy, Jane Wyman and many more. But what she enjoyed most was the comradery of her fellow workers, where she viewed many sunrises on the beach with the graveyard crowd after work. In 1952 she gave birth to a little girl and found the working shifts of American not conducive to the baby’s needs. With this transition she found a job with Smith Pacific making decorative boxes and book bindings. Again she found a wonderful group of friends that lasted for the rest of their lives. Her passion in life was dancing, dancing, and dancing and went with friends whenever she could.
She returned to Alabama after retirement and enjoyed the next 25 years attending and traveling with the Senior Center in Grant, participating with the RSVP group on Wednesdays, and attending church on Sundays. She took care of her mother until her death, and cared for her sister Lucille until her health made that impossible.
In 2007 She moved to Sandy, Utah to live with her daughter and enjoyed the company of her grandchildren and great grandchildren as well as her daughter. While in Utah she was able to enjoy travels with family, including trips to Hawaii, Yellowstone, Sacramento where she danced all night at her Grandson’s Wedding and back to attend her granddaughter’s quinceañera.  She joined a book club where she had many enjoyable luncheons not to mention the books she read. She devoured the “Gleam,” keeping in touch with the happenings at “home” and cutting articles out for numerous scrapbooks .
She never wanted to miss her game shows in the morning and evening and “Come on Down” resounded through the house every morning.
Her health became delicate as the years passed and at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, September 1, 2016 she danced out of this life with grace and dignity. We love and will remember her strength of character, spunk, and drive to be self-sufficient.
She is survived by her youngest brother, many relations in Grant, her daughter, son-in-law, 7 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. And will rest near beautiful trees at Mountain View Memorial, 3115 E. 7800 S. in Cottonwood heights.
Service Information

Graveside Service
September 6, 2016 at 10:00 A.M.
Memorial Mountain View Mortuary & Cemetery, 3115 East Bengal Blvd. (7800 S.) Cottonwood Heights, Utah, 84121