Mary Oliver

Mary Shull Oliver passed away on Monday morning October 21, 2024 after an extended battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She had occasional incidents of dementia.  Mary’s journey in life started out in Newtown Pennsylvania. She lived on a large farm that produced vegetables for local canneries. She was one of six children. After her graduation she started her quest to become as nurse as she had a disabled sister and father that needed medical attention. She earned a degree as a Registered Nurse. She worked at area nursing homes. She married Phillip Krause which didn’t last long. She had no children in this relationship. 

Later she married Donald Patrick whom they had two children: Mary Emily Patrick and James David Patrick. They moved around several times in his quest for a occupational training. They eventually moved to Oregon as Donald wanted to attend shoe repair school in Corvallis. After the training they moved to Hillsboro for Donald to work at a shoe repair store. While they lived in Hillsboro, they divorced. He moved back to Maryland. 

Gerald Oliver met Mary at a Casey and Wendy Treat event at the Portland Marriott. He started to attend Mary’s church in Hillsboro. During a church Harvest Party, the relationship developed. They married on Valentine’s Day in 1998. They lived in Hillsboro and Milwaukie traveling to where Mary’s employment took her. Upon Emily’s graduation from high school, she wanted to attend Bible school. She was accepted at Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow Oklahoma. Shortly after she finished her second year, we moved as a family to Tulsa where we lived for eight years before returning to the Eugene area. 

We have lived in the Eugene area since 2017, we were active in church: Harvest Church International, active in the Bethel Lions Club and Reboot Combat Recovery classes held at the Eugene First Baptist church. Mary was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease three years and became less and less mobile. She is no longer suffering and enjoying Heaven to its fullest. Mary is survived by her husband, Gerald. She has an older sister in Sonoma California. She has a brother in Voorhees, New Jersey and numerous nieces and nephews in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland.