Mary Wilson Cornell

Mary Wilson Cornell, 86, of Hannibal, died Oct. 22, 2010. Services 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25 at Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, Hannibal. Burial in Hawthorne, N.Y. Visitation prior to services Monday. Mrs. Cornell was born Feb. 3, 1924 in Hope, Ark. to Robert Manton and Virginia Reed Wilson. Preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Russell Bernard Cornell. Survived by daughter, Julia Cornell (James R.) Behrens, Hannibal; two grandchildren, James C. Behrens, of Los Angeles, Calif., and Katherine E. Behrens of Dallas, Texas. Mrs. Cornell graduated from Hope High School in Hope, Ark. She received a B.A. in Mathematics in 1945 from University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Mrs. Cornell attended University of Arkansas for two years and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She worked in Washington D.C. during WW II. Her husband was a geophysicist with Mobil Oil Co. for 38 years. Mrs. Cornell was always an active member of the Presbyterian Church. She enjoyed her life as a homemaker, watercolor artist, needle pointer, and antique fan collector. Mrs. Cornell was the International President of FANA from 1994-1996. FANA is a U.S. and European Fan Collecting Assoc. She also was a member of the Dallas Watercolor Society, Southwest Watercolor Chapter of NSDAR in Dallas, John Chew Chapter of Daughters of the American Confederacy and Dallas Museum of Art. She volunteered many hours as a docent for Old City Park in Dallas and enjoyed her duplicate bridge group and book club. Memorial: Hannibal First Presbyterian Church, care of Smith Funeral Home & Chapel, 2619 St. Mary's Ave., Hannibal, Mo. 63401.