MAYS, Maria (Doern)
Passed peacefully home to be with her Lord on October 19, 2017. She was pre-deceased by her husband Carl in 1965. Survived by daughter Susan Roesler (son-in-law Dan) of Lake Oswego, son David (daughter-in-law Marianna) of Portland; grandchildren: Brian Roesler, Grant Roesler (wife Chasity), Nate Mays; and great-grandchildren Wiley & Agnes Roesler.

Maria was born on September 3, 1915 at home in SE Portland Oregon, the 12th of 13 children. Soon after the family moved to a farm in Hillsboro where she grew up, attending Rosedale School (at that time a one-room schoolhouse), then later Hillsboro High School.

She attended Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon (at the time known as Oregon Normal School) obtaining her teaching certificate upon graduation in 1938. Her first teaching job was in Astoria where she taught 5th and 6th grade at Lewis & Clark School for two years. From there she moved to Klamath Falls to teach for one year at Joseph Conger School before moving to Bend to teach in the early 1940’s.

Eventually she left teaching and pursued office work for a brief time in San Francisco, before returning to Portland where she worked in the office for a commercial construction company. It was there that she met her husband, Carl R Mays, whom she married in 1954 at the age of 38. They lived in a house that Carl built in Beaverton where she remained until the age of 95.

Their daughter, Susan, was born in 1955 followed by a son, David, 14 months later in 1956. She stayed home with her children until David was in high school, when she got a part-time job. This, in spite of the fact that she was widowed when Carl died in 1965 becoming a single parent. She was very frugal and could make a dollar stretch, even allowing her to send both children to college.

Maria’s passion was her relationship with God, whom she relied on even more after Carl’s passing. She taught Bible Club in her home reaching many children in her neighborhood with the gospel. Later she was a group leader for women in Bible Study Fellowship. She was not shy about sharing the Good News of Jesus with whomever came across her path.

She leaves behind a legacy of faith for her children and grandchildren….and many others we will likely never know this side of heaven.