Mary Dean Oliver passed away on September 16, 2020 in Midland. A visitation will be held 6:00 pm-8:00 pm, Monday, September 21, 2020 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Midland. Funeral services will take place at 10:00 am, Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at the Nalley-Pickle & Welch Chapel. The service will be livestreamed at www.npwelch.com.Burial will follow the service at Resthaven Memorial Park.Mary Dean Oliver was born Julia Ann Stafford on March 31, 1945 in Amarillo, Potter County, Texas. She was adopted 6 months later by the Rev. Roscoe Dean Trostle and Mary Elizabeth Trostle.Mary Dean and her family moved around the Panhandle following her father's appointments through the Methodist Church. Mary Dean was a very active and happy child. She was a twirler with the cheerleaders and she played the trumpet in the band. She graduated from Lubbock High School in 1964.Afterwards Mary Dean enrolled in Lubbock Christian College. She was taking classes and pursuing a job as a substitute teacher. One special day she happened to go with her mother to an area teachers' meeting at the Friendship County School in Wolfforth where she saw across a crowded room a smiling face and rushed to make him her own. They were married in Brownfield, TX on October 31, 1964 and have since been one spirit for 54 years.They started their life together in Wolfforth. Mary and Vance lived in several different Panhandle towns where Vance taught school and she worked as a substitute. Their first son, Vance Ervin Oliver II, was born in Lubbock. Their next son, Michael Dean Oliver, was also born in Lubbock. In 1969 Mary and her family moved to Pasadena, TX where she was a homemaker. Her third son, Jay Kerry Oliver, was born in Pasadena and she then went to work in retail. She worked at Globe and Montgomery Ward.Mary then moved with her family to Midland and began her career in retail. Her granddaughters, Susan Nicole Ritchie, Caitlin Michelle Oliver, and Brandi Nicole Cardenas then came along. After her boys graduated and her granddaughters were all in school, she finally followed her true calling by caring for small children at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. One day she decided to work for Camp Fire and care for older children after school. It was there she met Chelsea Sigala and began exclusively caring for Chelsea's children, Sofia and Lucia. Chelsea became like a daughter that Mary always wanted. Her girls Sofia and Lucia became granddaughters.Mary was preceded in death by her parents Rev. and Mrs. Roscoe Trostle. She is survived by her sister Sue Beth Millman; her husband Vance Oliver; her sons Vance Oliver II and wife Debbie, Michael Dean Oliver, and Jay Kerry Oliver and wife Stephanie; 4 granddaughters; and 5 great-grandchildren.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Choctaw Foundation P.O. Box 1849 Durant, Oklahoma 74702.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,
