Mary Catherine Adams Brothers, 100

Mary Catherine Adams Brothers passed to her heavenly home on March 11, 2021.

She was born in Ocala, Fla., on Oct. 24, 1920, to Rylla Abigail Bailey and Byron Lawton Adams.

Mary served as a Baptist missionary in Nigeria from 1948 to 1969, with her husband, Raymon.

In high school she played clarinet in the marching band, wearing pants and a bob haircut. No one knew there was a woman in the previously all-male band! She attended Mars Hill College and received her bachelor’s degree from Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University).

Her first job after graduation was working as a research chemist with the Carborundum Company in Niagara Falls. When the war broke out, she worked in airport traffic control with the Civil Aeronautics Administration before joining the WAVES.

After the war she entered the Women’s Missionary Training School and Seminary. While there she took flying lessons and earned her pilot’s license along with her Master’s degree in Religious Education.

In August 1948 she headed to Nigeria, where she taught in the Baptist College in Iwo. She carried her love of music to Nigeria, where she led the college choir and taught music lessons to future pastors. She also played her clarinet in Pied Piper fashion in the villages to attract crowds to hear about a God who loves them.

In Iwo she met her future husband, a recent widower. They were married in Ede, Nigeria, in May of 1952. From there they moved to Ibadan, Nigeria, where she raised their four children while serving as church organist and Sunday school superintendent at Orita Mefa Baptist Chapel. She also wrote articles for the Nigerian Baptist Standard publication. As the children grew older, she began Laubach Literacy training and traveled to remote villages to teach reading.

After retiring in 1969, Raymon and Mary returned to DeLand, Fla., where they had built a house. Mary was a deacon in her church and an adult Sunday school teacher. She was also a Stephen Ministry Trainer. She worked in prison ministry and with Community Outreach Services to start a half-way house for people recovering from substance abuse. Mary and Raymon hosted and befriended several Stetson University students.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, L. Raymon Brothers, and her son-in-law, Mark Norvell. She is survived by her children, Raymon Thomas Brothers (Lisa), Mary Lee Norvell, Catherine May Lowenstein (Peter) and Doris Neale Ward (Phil), and 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, with two on the way.

She leaves a legacy of love of God and faithful service. In addition, Mary is remembered for her adventurous spirit and love of music. She spent hours of time in genealogy, hiking, fishing, and flower gardening.

Memorial contributions in honor of Mary Brothers can be sent to Building Fund for New Covenant Baptist Church, 1030 Torchwood Drive, Deland, FL 32724.