Beloved wife and mother, Mary Jane Napier died peacefully in her home and went to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ on Oct. 27, 2022, in Onalaska, Washington at the age of 79.
Mary is survived by her devoted husband, James M. Napier Jr.; brother Lawrence Gisner; and sister Barbara Payne; three of her four children; daughter, Desir’ee Wildhaber (Jim); daughter-in-law, Denise Napier; son, Justin Napier (Jennifer) and son, Joshua Napier (Shaundy). She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her son, James Napier III who passed away in 2015 and her brother, Walter Douglas Gisner.
Mary was born on Dec. 9, 1942, in Detroit, Michigan to Walter Joseph and Mary Elizabeth Gisner. She married Jim, her school sweetheart, in 1959. Mary and Jim moved to Raymond where they raised four children and lived for 50 years. Her children remember her as a hardworking mom. She was beside her husband on whatever project they might tackle, whether it be raising and butchering hundreds of chickens as a family, milking Bessie and selling her milk, or buying and remodeling houses.
She loved salmon fishing, playing cards, seeing her kids play in sporting events and cheering on her favorite teams, the Seahawks and Mariners. She was also an excellent cook! Some of her recipes included divinity, pizza (because of her special pizza crust), and her kids were particularly fond of her fried chicken. The family dinners with great food, games, laughter, and lots of family will be remembered and cherished. She loved being surrounded by family.
Mary loved the Lord and was a servant in her church and community. She came to know Jesus Christ at a young age and spent many years teaching and sharing the love of Christ with students at the Christian Fellowship Academy. She was also involved in her community working as a Century 21 realtor and Pacific County Transit bus driver.
Her graveside service is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4, 2022, at 11 a.m. at the Fern Hill Cemetery in Menlo, Washington with a potluck following at Crossroads Church in Raymond.
The family would like to thank a special friend, Sashara Callahan for her love to Mary and the family. Thank you to those who gave Mary love, care and comfort through the years.
