OBITUARY
 Mary
L Latch
DECEMBER 1, 1924 – FEBRUARY 9, 2019
Obituary of Mary L Latch PLAY TRIBUTE MOVIE
Mary Ruth (Leeper) Latch, 94, of Dallas Texas, was born in Kansas City
on December 1, 1924 as Ruth Earline Long. She was adopted at the age of
3½ by Albert and Edna Leeper and renamed Mary Ruth Leeper. She passed
away Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019.
She grew up in and around Kingston, Missouri. Mrs. Latch graduated from
Minnesota Bible College in 1950 with a BA Ministerial; Northwest
Missouri State University (Maryville, MO) in 1953 with a BS in
Elementary Education; Northeast Missouri State University (Kirksville,
MO) in 1987 with an MA in Education. She was married to Theo Allen (T.A.)
Latch on July 26, 1953 and were separated by his death in 1984. They had
a daughter, E. Caroline (Latch) Worley of Lewisville, TX.
She had a career in education, teaching for over 60 years in Missouri,
Iowa, and Texas. Her teaching career began as a teacher for grades 1-8
in a one room country school at the age of 18 (think Little House on the
Prairie). She continued to teach in the ‘big’ school in Kingston,
Missouri only taking time off to attend and graduate from Minnesota
Bible College and Northwest Missouri State University. While still
attending teacher’s college, she received a phone call from the
superintendent of the Marshalltown Iowa school (MISD) system. He later
said she was the only one he ever hired over the phone and it was
because of what she said in her interview. The Superintendent said he
noticed she listed she was a Christian and he wanted to know if she
could refrain from talking about God in the classroom. Her answer was,
“I will not talk about God but I will live daily my God and treat my
students and their parents as the Children of God that they are”… she
was hired on the spot! She began her Iowa public school teaching career
in Marshalltown at Palmer Elementary and ended her Iowa public school
teaching career at Hoglan Elementary School. Her principal, Bill Vana,
was her friend, colleague and then boss over the many years in the MISD.
She loved teaching all ages, in any setting (church, public, or private)
and strived to encourage all to be life-long learners! She was
innovative and worked for a national computer company, writing their
elementary math programs in order to earn computers for her school
district. She was the head of one of the first “open classroom systems,”
and school and university professors and students from all over the US
came to observe her teaching. At her retirement party from the MISD
schools, former students and their families who attended stayed long
after the designated stop time, wanting to talk with her personally and
share what she had meant in their young lives and beyond. Even the
original superintendent was there to honor her. She came out of
retirement to teach at Carrollton Christian Academy. Her joy of finally
being able to talk freely and openly about God was honored in those
years and she loved each student and their families with a fierce and
Godly love.
Mary met the love of her life, T.A., at the Marshalltown Bus Station
Cafe. Schools and businesses closed for lunch and both would walk to the
Bus Station Café for lunch (she from Palmer Elementary – he from
Helberg’s Jewelers where he was an apprentice after serving in the Navy
during WWII). As he told it – it took him almost a year to build up the
courage to talk with her the first time as “she was the most beautiful
and delightful woman” he had ever seen. Love blossomed and they were
married two years later. Times were different because of the war and
families had to work and support each other. Because of that fact, T.A.
was actually 18 years older than her. God had provided an older, caring
man who would help her with the hurts in her past. The couple would have
only one child a couple years after they were married.
Throughout the years, she played the piano for many congregations in
Missouri and Iowa. Her home church in Marshalltown, Iowa was Hillside
Church of Christ (currently known as New Hope Christian Church –
Minister Kerry Jech). After T.A.’s death and her retirement, Mary moved
to Texas to be with her daughter. In Texas, she was a member of Riley
Christian Church, Cornerstone Christian Church and Compass Christian
Church. She went to play the piano for a week-long revival at Rylie
Christian Church in Dallas, TX with her son-in-law Mark. She retired
from playing piano at that church after 10 years, and that was only
because the back and forth weekly drive became “a little too much”!
Mary is survived by her daughter Caroline and son-in-law Mark Worley of
Lewisville, TX; her grandchildren Kyle Worley and daughter-in-law Hope
of Edgewood, NM; Zach Worley and daughter-in-law Ashley of New Windsor,
MD; and Aimee and son-in-law Mark Phillips of Oklahoma. Mrs. Latch
dearly loved her 9 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild.
Great-grandchildren include: Jordan Moss-Worley and his wife, Taylor;
Elli Worley, Theo Worley, Annabelle Worley, Mollie Worley, Lincoln
Worley, Milo Worley, Brian Phillips and Timothy Phillips. She has one
great-great-grandchild Haizleigh Moss-Worley. Numerous family and
friends who have been loved by her and called her Grandma Latch,
including the Latch family nieces and nephews and their families and the
Worley Family, which adopted her when she moved to Texas!
Those who proceeded her in death are: her husband, Theo Allen (T.A.)
Latch; mother Edna Leeper and father Albert Leeper; Sisters and
brothers-in-law Mary (Latch) and Rusty Mead; Nyle and Lucille Latch;
Howard and Emily (Latch); Helen (Latch) and Paul Jones; Dorothy (Latch)
and Howard Hoff – all of Iowa.
Mary Latch’s greatest desire was for everyone to know Christ and the
power of his resurrection. As an earthly adopted child, she desires
everyone to experience the heavenly adoption into God’s family through
Christ. Her final written words were, “I cannot wait for our reunion in
heaven.” Genesis 31:49b, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me
when we are away from each other.”
‘Celebration’ arrangements will be held at 10am, Saturday, Feb. 16,
2019, at Rhoton Funeral Home (1511 South I-35E Carrollton, TX 75006).
In lieu of flowers, all donations can be sent to The T.A. and Mary Latch
Education Scholarship fund at Dallas Christian College (www.dallas.edu)
2700 Christian Pkwy, Dallas, Texas 75234. |
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