Mary Lou Curtis, age 78, Russellville, passed away Oct. 29 at Terrace Manor Nursing Home.

Our Momma passionately loved the following: God – She loved the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart. She credited God with her many blessings and was always thankful. She prayed without ceasing. My Dad – She loved our dad for all of the 44 years they were alive together and the 15 years following his death. Her sons – She fiercely protected us when we were children. She didn’t believe in “sparing the rod” and fulfilled her parental responsibility to make sure the both of us understood the concepts of respect and right from wrong. Her family – Momma had three brothers and six sisters. She was very close with all of them. She always showed the same love to her nieces and nephews as she did her own children. Her friends – She would spend hours on the phone talking with her friends. She had a knack for putting a positive spin on whatever problem they would share. She never tired of their company. To cook – Momma never used measuring cups or recipes. A common ingredient to every dish she made was love. Her food was unforgettably delicious. To eat – She didn’t have to be hungry to enjoy the taste of food. She often said that while most people eat to live, she lived to eat. Television – She liked “I Love Lucy,” Andy Griffith, Red Skeleton and Carol Burnett. The Hallmark and Christian channels were her favorites. We’re almost certain she never turned her television off. To laugh – A common request from her was “tell me a joke.” She laughed the hardest at the jokes it took her awhile to get. To beg, barter and trade – She was a yard sale expert. She collected thrown away items and sold them as rare antiques. We remember as children, she would gather our friends together and take us to the farmer’s market. She led the vendors to believe that all of the children were hers to feed on a fixed budget. She paid very little for a car load of vegetables. To play cards – She like the old games like “high nine” and “smut.” Her love of card games was due to her Daddy playing cards with his children to see who did which chores. He always cheated to assure that the losing children got handed the work he wanted them to do.

Our Momma was a special and unique person who touched so many lives.

The visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 1 at Spry Memorial Chapel. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Nov. 2 at Spry Memorial Chapel with Bro. Sammy Taylor officiating. Burial will be at Tharptown Cemetery.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William C. Curtis; parents, Tommy and Inez Seay; brothers, Houston Seay, Austin Seay and Carl Seay; and sisters, Annie Mae Counts, Rae Adams, Nell Beam and Katherine Brown.

She leaves to cherish her memory her sons, Tony Curtis and wife Jeannie and Phillip Shane Curtis; grandchildren, Katie Lou Taylor and husband Kyle, Krena Eunica Poole and husband Almon, Joshua Senn Curtis, Amy Curtis Hamilton and husband Craig, Phillip Shane “PJ” Curtis Jr. and wife Arieana, Danielle Young Curtis, William Thomas Curtis and Samantha Lee Curtis; great-grandchildren, Lily Rocket Curtis and Cora Kaye Hamilton; sisters, Daisy Hawkins and Janey Hanke; and a host of nieces and nephews.

The pallbearers will be PJ Curtis, Matthew Waldrep, Joshua Curtis, Kyle Taylor, Mark McKay, Wayne Brown and Craig Hamilton.