Mary Ellen Lester, born April 11, 1930, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, died in Johnson City, Tennessee, on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, following a brief illness. She attended Ozark Adventist Academy in Gentry, Arkansas, and Madison College in Madison, Tennessee. While at Madison she met and married her husband of 56 years, Albert E. Lester. They moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, where she lived for 60 years. Mary was a professional secretary at the office of the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. In 2015, Mary moved back to Fayetteville and later moved on to Johnson City in order to be closer to caregiving family.
Following her retirement, Mary and Albert established and operated ACTS (Adventists Caring Through Sharing)--a ministry in Shreveport that provided food, clothing, and other items to house-fire victims. During their period of volunteer service, they provided assistance to more than 300 individuals.
Mary was the youngest child of nine born to Stephen Lee McComas and Ellie Almyra Chambers of Witter, Arkansas. Her parents and siblings all preceded her in death. She had no children of her own but is survived by numerous nieces and nephews who all received a share of her love and attention. The family wishes to give special thanks to Sarah Dixson, June McLeroy, Carol Swayze, and a dear family friend, Ginger Brooks, for their efforts to care for their Aunt Mary during her final years.
Following a graveside service officiated by her nephew, Don Gibson, Mary was laid to rest beside her husband in Forest Park West Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana.