Mary Lou Joudrey, 80, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family.
Born November 16, 1945, Mary Lou was raised from birth by her maternal grandparents, George and Lydia Davis. Her biological parents were Louis Lane and Doris Lane. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend who loved her family fiercely and completely.
Mary Lou was married to her husband, Alvin Laurie Joudrey, for 54 years. Together they built a life centered around their family and the people they loved.
For 28 years, Mary Lou and Alvin owned and operated Kiddie Christian Kollege together, creating a place where generations of children were cared for, loved, and educated. Mary Lou had a true love for children, and the relationships she formed with them and their families became an important part of her life. The school was something she and Alvin built together and were both incredibly proud of.
Of all the things Mary Lou accomplished, her family was what she treasured most. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren fiercely and was happiest when she was surrounded by them. Some of her favorite memories were made in the kitchen, baking with her grandchildren and spending time together.
Mary Lou was a wonderful hostess who loved having people over, filling the table with good food, and making sure everyone felt welcome. She had a gift for bringing people together around a table, and her love of entertaining and creating a beautiful spread became something she passed down to her family. Those traditions will live on through the people she taught to love gathering around a table just as much as she did.
She is survived by her husband, Alvin Laurie Joudrey; her children, George Kellett (Jami), Lynne Parker, Robbi Smith (Ron), and Tisha Cox (Ben); her grandchildren, Jacob Kellett (Amanda), Jeannine Jones (David), Sidney Smith, Taylor Smith, Holly Kellett, and Benjamin Cox, William Kearns, Michele Carson, and Lauren Stenger; and her great-grandchildren, Presleigh Kellett, Peyton Kellett, Paislee Kellett, Brantley Kellett, Davie Jones, Ava Jones, and Ella Reese Carson.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her beloved great-granddaughter, Naomi Jeannine Jones, whose memory remained a cherished part of the family.
She is also survived by her sisters, Doris Ann Gibson (Charles) and Rebecca Caton, and was preceded in death by her sister, Ruth Bozman, and brother, Robert Lane.
Mary Lou's family extended beyond those connected to her by blood. Marti Ruark, though once her daughter-in-law, remained a part of Mary Lou's life and family, and that bond remained special to her throughout the years.
She also held a special place in her heart for her two favorite nieces, Amanda Messatzzia and Ellen Soulis, who brought her much love and many special memories throughout her life.
Mary Lou will be remembered for her fierce love of her family, her love for children, her strength, her generosity, her hospitality, and the many memories she created with the people she loved most. She had a way of making a house feel like home and a gathering feel special simply by being there.
Her absence will leave an enormous hole in the hearts of those who knew and loved her, but the love she gave so freely will remain with her family forever.
She was a wife, a mother, a Nana, an aunt, a friend, and the heart of her family. She will be deeply missed, forever remembered, and always loved.
