Mary E. Prickett

    Mary E. (Peddicord) Prickett, formerly of Wamego, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday morning, November 24, 2020 after a short and uneven contest with Covid-19. She left peacefully, though, as she was ready to go.

    Mary was born on April 28, 1925, to Howard George [Jerry] and Emma Ellen (Rezac) Peddicord. Marygrew up on the family farm, just outside of Belvue, Kansas, with her younger brother, George Howard[Bud] Peddicord, and older sister, Ruth Ilene (Peddicord) Wise. The farm is still there, run by Mary’s nephew Buck, on land that Mary’s Great Grandmother, Mary Margaret (Bourbonnais) Dike, chose as her Pottawatomie tribal allotment in the decade after the Civil War.

    Mary graduated from Wamego High School in 1943. After a brief try at wartime factory work that summer, Mary returned to help run her family’s farm, which she continued to do each summer through the war. She graduated from K-State with a degree in Home Economics and soon after married David Eugene Prickett, an architecture student who had served as a medic in some of the fiercest battles of WWII.

    David and Mary might have met in 1929, at the dedication ceremony for the Marsh Arch Bridge crossing the Kansas River at Wamego, which was quite the event for both little kids. But the first time David Prickett remembered seeing Mary Peddicord was across the dance floor in college. That was it for him. She was the one, though he had to work hard to convince her of that fact. Mary was nothing if not independent and sure of her own mind.

    Mary and David began their life together in Wamego, Kansas, living above a dry-cleaning shop. In 1952 they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Mary Sue. David’s professional life took them to Topeka, Kansas, where David designed several notable public buildings. He also designed their own family home, which they built together. This was the first of eight homes they built for themselves, each of which was a testament to teamwork. David was the dreamer. He could sit on a piece of land and see it all play out. Mary was the one who made sure the job got done. She was also the one with enough patience to pay careful attention to details, like finish carpentry and painting.

    David retired early and the couple hit the road in a succession of smaller and smaller RVs, traveling all over the United States including several trips to Alaska. In the 1980’s they landed in Washington State, where they built two houses for themselves and one for their daughter. At sixty-something Mary was climbing on rafters, out-working most of the crew.

    As a child Mary saw herself not just as a farm kid, but as a cowboy hero. She kept that up her entire life. From her friends at the Half-Moon one-room schoolhouse, to the animals on her family’s farm, to battered women seeking shelter in Topeka, to every single person she met, Mary was always a champion for those in need. She was brave and strong and elegant without overdoing it. She was practical, but always had room for a bit of art.

    Mary is survived by her daughter, Mary Sue [Phrin] Prickett, and grandson, David Bowman Ross, as well as her niece Patricia Dorsey and two nephews, Don Wise and HG [Buck] Peddicord. Her loss will be felt as well by their families, her friends and the dozens of people she took under her wing.

    Private burial services will be held Tuesday, December 1, 2020 in the Wamego City Cemetery.  Memorials are suggested to the Mary Prickett memorial fund to be designated later, and left in care of Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego, P.O. Box 48, 66547. Condolences may be left at stewartfuneralhomes.com.