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Maryellen Tally
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Maryellen Cashman Tally, 80, died peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 25 at her home.

Born to Bea and Bill Cashman of Oakdale, she graduated from Oakdale High School in 1947. She married Dennis Tally in 1949 and settled with him in Tracy to raise their family.

Mrs. Tally was among a cadre of parent volunteers who helped get St. Bernard’s School started in 1958 and all four Tally children attended. She volunteered at the school for 10 years and in 1968 became St. Bernard’s first school secretary, a position she held for the next 14 years.

She and her husband retired at the same time so they could enjoy traveling and more time with family. However, she was widowed four years later at the age of 57 when her husband died from cancer. Almost immediately, she began to fill her days with volunteer work – from the Tracy Hospital Auxiliary to the Delta Blood Bank and the Elections Board, she could always be counted on to be there and with a smile on her face. She scheduled volunteers at the hospital’s gift shop for many years, and had worked two days in the gift shop herself the week she died. Never afraid of a challenge, she got her first computer this year and quickly learned her way around the keyboard, spending hours e-mailing friends and family, and playing games.

Her biggest joy in life was her family. She took several trips to Europe with her children and grandchildren, and enjoyed time with family and friends in the mountains near Dardanelles, especially when raising her young family. She had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to play cards and practical jokes. Children were drawn to her like a magnet – “Nana” will be missed by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by children, Jean (Bill) Benner, Jane (Tom) Johnston, Larry (Sharon) Tally, Chris Tally, and Lisa Tally; brother, Bill (Valera) Cashman; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dennis; and sister, Luann Blattler.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30 at Fry Memorial Chapel, 550 So. Central Ave., Tracy. Funeral services are at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, at Fry Memorial Chapel.

The Oakdale (Calif.) Leader

Sept. 29, 2010