Mary Louise (Ward) Ortega

ORTEGA, Mary L. - 83, of Mechanicsville, VA went to be with the Lord, Thursday, April 15, 2021. She was preceded in death by her husband, Al Ortega; her daughter, Mary Jo January; and her mother, Pearl Dorn. Mary is survived by her daughters, Gayle Foster (Stan) , Katherine Prince (Dave), and  Kimberly Cary; her son, Donald January (Vickie); a stepson, David Ortega; 9 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a sister, Carol McClendon “Poggie”; 4 aunts, and uncle, and many other relatives and friends.

Oh Lord help me solve this mystery, Mary is free and asks; Please don’t grieve for me. She is following the path, God’s path. He has chosen for her. She took His hand when she heard Him call. She walked with Him and left it all. She could not stay another day, to laugh, to love, to work or play. Tasks left undone must stay that way. Mary has now found peace at the end of the day.

Mary was a mother, daughter, and sister who loved everyone. She never said a negative word about anyone. She believed in the Lord and would sing and pray to Him daily. Her treasures on this earth were her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She loved walking her dogs and having her great grandkids go with her. Mary proudly served in the US Air Force  and in the Civil Air Patrol. She enjoyed gardening, needle point, puzzles, word find books, and reading western novels. She loved her tomato plants, pulling weeds and everything involved in growing things. She would sit for hours in her swing and talk and sing her favorite hymn, (In the Garden) to her garden, and all the birds and squirrels. She loved watching western movies and reading books by Louis L’Amour. Mary loved vacationing; and camped through many different states and National Parks; Yellowstone and Gettysburg, being her favorites. She loved the Rocky Mountains, watching the sunrise on the Atlantic Ocean and the sunsets on the Pacific. She loved Elvis music and his movies. As much as she loved watching gardens grow, she also loved watching her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren grow, with all the love in her heart.

So, the mystery is, why some don’t believe as she did? Be with the Lord and watch over us with Him.

The family will hold a memorial service at a later date in California.

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