Mary Helen Vallandingham
July 25, 1918 ~ December 2, 2007
Services:
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 6, 2007 in Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Chaptico, MD with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood, MD.
Visitation:
The family will receive friends on Wednesday, December 5, 2007 from 5 - 8 PM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home where prayers will be said at 7:00 PM.
Mary “Helen” (Thomas) Vallandingham, age 89 of Leonardtown, MD died on December 2, 2007 at St. Mary’s Nursing Center. Born in Chaptico, MD on July 25, 1918, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Frank Thomas Sr. and Snowden Elizabeth Rebecca (Thompson) Thomas. She was preceded in death by her husband William Lawrence Vallandingham, Jr. whom she married in the Loretta Chapel in Chaptico on October 10, 1933. Mrs. Vallandingham was a lifelong St. Mary’s County resident and was a member of Our Lady of the Wayside Church. She was the mother of: Joseph Warren “Joe” Vallandingham of Bushwood, MD, Mary Virginia Gragan of Chaptico, MD, Peggy Bowles of Leonardtown, MD, Robert Lawrence Vallandingham of Ft. Meyers, FL, James Bertman “Bert” Vallandingham of Hughesville, MD, Thomas Aloysius “Tommy” Vallandingham of Bushwood, MD, Clarence Marion Vallandingham of Loveville, MD, Daniel Walter “Danny” Vallandingham of Mechanicsville, MD, Marjorie “Margie” Jean Hicks, of Mechanicsville, MD, Helen Fay Wallace of Hollywood, MD, and the late John William Vallandingham, Deborah Mae Vallandingham and Elizabeth Ann Vallandingham. She was the sister of Susan Elizabeth “Susie” Wathen of Waldorf, MD and Mary Marjorie Dennison of Norfolk, VA and the late Amy Thomas, Catherine Luvenia “Toots” Lacey, Joseph McQuillian “Mac” Thomas, Paul Aloysius Thomas, James Bruce Thomas, Joseph Frank Thomas, Jr., Matthew Kenelm Thomas and Violet Theresa Altman. She is survived by 22 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren. She enjoyed flower arranging, gardening, reading, cooking and traveling. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 from 5:00-8:00 PM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD where prayers will be said at 7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 10:00 AM in Our Lady of the Wayside Catholic Church, Chaptico, MD with Fr. Timothy Baer officiating. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Bushwood, MD. Pallbearers will be her sons, Joe, Robert, Bert, Tommy, Marion, and Danny Vallandingham. Honorary pallbearers will be Mary Virginia Gragan, Marguerite Peggy Bowles, Marjorie Jean Hicks, Helen Fay Wallace and Susan Elizabeth Wathen. Contributions may be made to the Leonardtown Volunteer Rescue Squad, P.O. Box 299, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
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“Grandmama, My Grandmother, the greatest women I knew. I’ll never foget the talks we had when I was a little girl. You kept my Daddy alive in my heart and I Thank You from the bottom of my heart! You rest now til we meet again in Heaven. You will always be in my heart! Love Your Granddaughter, Patsy”
“My condolences to all of you. She was a good woman. She is happy with the Lord now. I know Aunt Susie will miss her too. Mary Frances”
“Marion Vallandingham & family Sincere condolences to you and your brothers & sisters. Your mother is at peace and I’m sure she’s been reunited with many others who have gone before her. Cathy & Guy Mattingly & Mary Beth & Justin Browne”
“May God be with each of you as you travel through the days ahead. Know she is now at peace, good health, and most of all with your dad and Ann. Ann has been awaiting her arrival. Together they now feel peace and happiness together. “
“Margie,Rick,Faye,Family & Friends, Wanted you to know that our hearts and thoughts are with you all. We know how much you loved your mom,,but we believe she took that love with her, along with all your shared and precious memories. A priceless and beautiful gift you have sent your mom home with.”
“Margie and Family….Your Mom was a very Beautiful and Gracious Lady. She always managed a smile and wave for me as I walked by and waved to her. May all of you find comfort knowing that she is at peace now and will no longer suffer. Cherish the memories and God Bless all of you.”
“To the Vallandingham Family: My sincerest sympathy to you and your family. I’m sure that your Mother is at peace now, and hopefully you will be at peace knowing that. God Bless you all.”
“Wanted to tell everyone that my heart goes out to you and that i feel your lost. I know how great of a woman she was. I remember all the times I use to stop by an say granmom you want to go shopping and she was always ready to go. I loved her smile. I don’t think she ever had a bad thing to say about anyone. “
“The family of Evelyn Norris would like to express their condolences to the Vallandingham family for the loss of your mom, grandmother. We will keep your family in our thoughts and prayers. May she rest in peace.”
“Grandmama, you will be missed but at least now you are with your Lord and Savior along with your husband and kids. Until we see you again – Love ya!”
“To the Vallandingham Family, My heart and prayers are with you. I remember as a girl when Fay and I would get together Mrs.Vallandingham would always have a hot breakfast for me in the morning after staying the night. She made the biggest french fries i had ever seen for dinner. We had a lot of great times together and shared a lot of laughs. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. “
“To the Vallandingham family, please know that my thoughts and prayers are with all of you.”
“Timmy, Anne, Hannah and Blayre~ Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. We know that you will always cherish the memories you’ve shared with your grandmother. God Bless you…we love you guys!”
“Danny- We at the State Highway Administration, Leonardtown, Md. would like to express our sincere condolences to you and your family, brothers & sisters for the loss of your mother. Even though she is no longer with you, your memories of her will remain forever with you, cherish them. “
“To all of the Vallandingham Family- You have my deepest sympathy for the loss of your mom and grandmother. I have such wonderful memories of her with her family. Keep up that Vallandingham strength because you know she and Ann loved you all so much! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.”
“How proud you must be to be the daughter, son, grandchild or other relative of this wonderful woman. We have fond memories of her when we were growing up and attending school with some of the family and remeber her as a hard working woman but also a fun loving person. What a lovely family she leaves behind that she was so proud of. Best wishes to all of you at this time.”
“My thoughts are with the family!”
“Margie and Rick, So sorry to hear of the loss of your mother, know that you are in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.”
“Margie and family, So sorry for your loss. She is at peace now. “
“Margie and family, Please accept our heartfelt sorrow in the passing of Helen, your Mom, Grandma and the matriarch or your family. It is never easy to accept this loss of one so dear, but now she is with the Trinity and forever at peace. May God grant you the peace of heart that you all deserve. God Bless.”
“Margie, I am so sorry to learn of your Mom’s passing. My prayers and thoughts are with you. Take care!”
“Margie,Rick,Family and Freinds, May warm memories be with you and bring you comfort. Our prayers are with you and your family, we hope your sorrow is soon eased. With Deepest Sympathy. Amy & Tom”
“Margie and Family~Losing someone so close and dear – someone that brought you into this world is never easy. Your mother was a wonderfully strong woman…strong in heart, strong in faith. Take heart and solace in knowing that she is with her Savior that she so loved. A piece of her is with each and every one of you also…so tap into that strength she had, now when you need it the most. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. “
“Margie, please know you are in our thoughts and prayers. Your Mom is in God’s hands now and is resting Peacefully. Love you! :o) MaryAnn and Skip”
“Margie, I am so sorry. Know that I love you in this time of sorrow. My thoughts and prayers are with you. “
“Loosing a family memeber so dear to your hearts is never easy. The good Lord has her now and she is comfortable and happy. Our prayers are with you Margie!”
“Faye, Grant, Heather and Haily I am so sorry to hear about your loss. If there is anything we can do just let us know. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time. “
“We would like to express our condolences to the family. We’ll keep all of you in our thoughts and prayers. Love , The Fones Family “
“Virginia & Latham Marion & April, Joe & Susie and the rest of the Vallandingham Family: It takes a long time to get used to the loss of someone we love, But it’s important to remember that when people die, they leave something very special behind, they leave us memories of many things they said and did, and as long as we have those memories, the people we love will live on in our hearts and minds. Skip and I are so sorry for the loss of your mother, and that we cannot be there in person to offer our condolences. We love living in Alabama, but this is where it’s very hard knowing that we cannot attend any of the services, but you will be in our thoughts and prayers, may God bless all of you. With love, Doris & Skip Jones”
“Margie & family, we are so sorry for the loss of your Mother. She will forever shine through each one of you – her smile,her kindness and generosity, her laughter and her love. Don’t say “good-bye” to her, say, “see you later”.”
“Margie and Family: You have our sincerest sympathy for the loss of your Mom. She is at home now. She has been reunited with the Lord and she is resting peacefully in his hands. She will always be with you in your heart.”
“To the Vallandingham Family: She was a strong woman, and always remember all the good times together. I know that Ann is smiling again, because now she is together with her Mom now. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. Remember, the North Carolina family will be there in thoughts. Love you”
“Peggy, Margie, Jay and Family…. With heartfelt sympathy and kindest thoughts for you in your sorrow. Memories remain a part of the heart forever.”
“Our deepest sympathy to the Vallandingham family in the loss of your mother and grandmother. As my Mom and Dad would say “They met friends there at the old store in Maddox that would last a life time” – and that they did. “Mrs. Van” always made the best biscuits! Your family will be kept in the thoughts and prayers of us Pettit’s. We love you all and may God Bless.”
“Margie,Rick, Family and Friends, Sending you our condolences. You are in our thoughts and prayers. We feel your loss and please accecpt our deepest sympathy Be reassured that your Mom is in a beautiful place now. Always cherish your memories and keep them close in your heart. She is at peace now. Your Friends Doreen & Michael”
“Margie and Family: “My Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time of sorrow.””
“My thoughts and prayers are with the Vallandingham family at this time. May you find strength in knowing your mom is with her husband and peace in the fact that she and Ann are now together, too. We may never be ready for them to go, still, and end to suffering is a blessing. May you find comfort in that and may the love of your family and friends sustain you at this time. With much love to you all from Cary, NC! “
“Margie and family, My heartfelt sympathy to you, I never met your mom but, many kind words were spoken of her. My thought are with you at this sad time.”
“Grandma, I miss you so much, you were such an amazing woman. I love you with all my heart.”