Mary Lou Alvey passed away peacefully at her home in Oakdale, Ca., Monday, Jan. 25. She was 86 years of age.
Mary was born in Yankton, S.D., to Raymond and Clara Hough, and moved to Sioux Falls, S.D. at 10 years of age. She lived in Sioux Falls for many years and started her own family there. After living in Minnesota for a few years the Alvey family moved to California in 1969 and settled in Sunnyvale. She and her husband Robert later lived in Salida and Atwater before moving to Oakdale in 2001. While her life revolved around family, Mary worked outside the home occasionally, at an arsenal in Minnesota and as co-owner and kitchen manager of a bar and grill in the Bay Area.
Mary enjoyed cooking for her family, often using fresh vegetables from her own garden, and also was an accomplished seamstress.
Nothing was more important to her than family. She married Robert Alvey in 1952 in South Dakota, and they enjoyed a memorable journey of 55 years together before his passing in 2007.
She was a devoted wife and loving mother, and took great joy in her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mary is survived by six children, Gerri McCoid of San Jose, Ca., Jacklyn Dumas of Anacortes, Wa., James (Susan) Alvey of Sunnyvale, Ca., Robert (Tammy) Alvey Jr. of San Ramon, Ca., Kathryn (Dean) Harris of Newman, Ca., and Judy Alvey of Oakdale, Ca.; a sister, Judie (Pat) Lane of Laguna Niguel, Ca.; a son-in-law, Matt Hanko of Oakdale, Ca.; 13 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to her husband, Mary was preceded in death by a daughter; Patricia Alvey Smith; a grandson, Joshua McCoid; and a son-in-law, Paul Dumas.
A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, Feb. 13, in Oakdale.
In lieu of flowers, Mary’s family requests that remembrances be directed to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or a hospice of choice.

The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader
Feb. 3, 2016