Mary Ethel Browning

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Mary Ethel Browning, longtime Ridgway resident, passed on this life Saturday morning, July 26, 2008, at Ferrell Hospital in Eldorado, surrounded by her daughters.

Mary was born in Paragould, Ark., on Sept. 21, 1917, to the late Thomas J. and Ara Belle (Wren) Goodwin. On Nov. 14, 1935, in Alton, she was united in marriage to Robert "Bob" Browning of New Haven, who preceded her in death in 1969.

Mary was a good Christian person and a faithful member of the Ridgway First Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday School for over 25 years. Many people will remember her from working over 23 years at the Skaggs Reeder Drug Store in Ridgway before retiring. Mary was a good wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She will be greatly missed by her family, community and church.

Mary is survived by two daughters, Judy and Frank Koester of O'Fallon, Mo. and Peggy and Fred McGuire of Greenwood, S.C.; one sister, Claudia Hibbs of Lawrenceburg, Ky.; four grandchildren, Rebecca (Koester) Tucker and Robert Koester, both of O'Fallon, Mo., Jana (Koester) Conoyer of St. Peters, Mo., and Amy (McGuire) Troiano of Simpsonville, S.C.; and nine grandchildren, Miranda, Hannah and Zachary Koester, Jared, Jordan, and Emily Queen, Dale Conoyer and Michael and Scott Troiano.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and a sister, Velma Unthank.

Visitation for Mary will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 28, 2008, at the Cox and Son Funeral Home in Ridgway. The funeral will be starting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 29, 2008, at the Cox and Son Funeral Home in Ridgway, with the Rev. Rob Gallion officiating. Interment will be in the Union Ridge Cemetery near New Haven.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the Ridgway First Baptist Church Building Fund. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left to the family at the Internet site www.coxandson.com.