She was born in Scioto County, Ohio on January 1, 1919. She was preceded in death by her parents Frank Enoch and Sarah Caroline (Zaler) Coles, her husband George C. Smalley in 1970, two sisters, Roseanna Bennett and Ruth Hagen, and two brothers, George and Charles Coles.

Mary Kathern graduated from Minford High School and from the Lillian Johnson Beauty Academy in Columbus, Ohio. On September 12, 1942, she married George Clayton Smalley in South Salem, Ohio. In 1950 they moved to her grandparents' family farm in Scioto Township where she continued to live until the last couple years of her life. She was very proud of her family farm which has been in her family since the 1840s. Mary Kathern and George had many wonderful friends in their farm and church community.

They had five children, the first baby dying soon after his birth. The four surviving children are: George "Chip" (Cathy) Smalley of Jackson; Sara Carolyn (Tom) Sollars of Adrian, Michigan; Rebecca Sue (Charles) Brown of Grove City, Ohio; and David Edward (Debbie) Smalley of Canal Winchester, Ohio; one brother, Kenneth Coles of Minford, Ohio; ten grandchildren: Tom (Wendy) Sollars II. George (Jill) Smalley, Shannon (Josh) Martineau, David Edward Smalley II, Stephen (Heather) Smalley, Erin (Steve) Lewis, Tiffany (Ituha) Cloud, Katie Brown (Son Nyguen), Christopher (Melanie) Smalley, and Diedre Smalley; thirteen great-grandchildren: Jenna, Wyatt, Brynlee, Corbin and Austin Smalley, Cole and Anna Martineau, Erilyse, Siannan and Meiya Sollars; Logan Cloud, Maxwell and Grant Lewis.

Mary Kathern was a member, a Sunday School teacher for many years and an Elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson; she was also a member of the Literary Society, the Garden Club and several other community clubs. She was retired from Area Agency on Aging, First Director of Retired Senior Volunteer Program. She traveled the world with Croswell Tours, visiting Hawaii and other countries. In her 80's she traveled to Thailand with her church, where she enjoyed a ride on the back of an elephant.

Friends may call at the Mayhew-Brown Funeral Home in Jackson Tuesday, June 21, from 4 - 8 p.m.

Funeral service will be at the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson on Wednesday, June 22, at 11 a.m. with Rev.

David Down ton officiating.

Burial will follow in the German-Salem Cemetery, Johnson Road, Scioto Twp., Ohio. The pallbearers will be: grandsons, Thomas Allen Sollars II, George Kenneth Smalley, David Edward Smalley II, Stephen Charles Smalley, Christopher James Smalley, and nephew John Franklin Hagen.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Jackson County 4-H Fund, 17 Standpipe Road, Jackson, Ohio; First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, 225 Church Street, Jackson, Ohio, or Retired Senior Volunteer Program, 243 Main Street, Jackson, Ohio.