Mary Arlene Cross

Mary Arlene Cross, 93, of Waldorf, MD died peacefully on Mothers’ Day, May 12, 2013, at Civista Medical Center in La Plata, MD surrounded by her family. Born July 20, 1919 in Washington, DC, she was the daughter of the late LeMoine and Arlene Canter Wilkerson. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Samuel and Magdalene Wilkerson, who raised her on the family farm on Route 228 in Waldorf; her parents; her brothers, LeMoine Wilkerson Jr., Larry B. Wilkerson; her sister Kathlene Weaver; her husband Ralph Cross; and her daughter, Janet Davison and her husband Gordon. She is survived by her son Kenneth Cross and his wife Anita of La Plata, MD; one daughter, Marlene Roe and her husband Randy of Nanjemoy; grandchildren, Wayne Cross of Florida, Tina America of Helen, Cullen Kowalski of Washington, DC, Damien Davison of South Carolina, and Travis Davison of Washington Grove, Maryland; great-grandchildren, Kara, Kirsten, Devin, and Tyler Davison, Katie, Kelsey, Kyle, and Keith Cross, Dymond Mulloy and Jessy Hoover as their surrogate great-grandmother, and many nieces and nephews. Mary guided her family through life with unconditional love and wisdom. As a first grade teacher at Oxon Hill Elementary School and later at Rose Valley Elementary School, both in Oxon Hill, she started night school while continuing to teach and graduated with a bachelor’s degree at age 65. While completing the last of 31 years of service for the Prince George’s School Board, she decided at age 70 to fulfill a life-long dream of having a home built on the family farm where she grew up in Waldorf, Maryland. She was a talented lady with skills in fine cooking, crocheting, and organic gardening. Her gardens and deck overflowed with beautiful flowers, plants, and pots of growing seeds. With her love of arts and crafts she made many wonderful friends over the years at paint classes and went on to create several beautiful paintings that won blue ribbon awards. In later years, she moved into painting on glass and slate and created handmade bead crafts which were cherished by many. She liked to plan for the future, always talking about what was to come in the following year. Planting seeds and waiting for them to sprout, taking a cutting or a piece of just about any flower or plant just to see if she could start a new root, her life was always about new beginnings. Mary’s family is grateful to her friend Kenny Kincaid for being such a faithful helper and companion, a guy she liked to say she had adopted. She had so many friends, too many to mention – but they know who they are and know they were loved. She lives on in the hearts and minds of her family and friends through the ideas she thought, the words she spoke, and the actions she took. A gathering will be held on Monday, May 20, 2013 from 5-8PM at Raymond Funeral Chapel, 5635 Washington Avenue, La Plata, MD 20646. Additional visitation on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 10AM until time of Funeral Service at 11AM at Calvary United Methodist Church, 3235 Leonardtown Road, Waldorf, MD 20601. Interment at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Waldorf, MD

Mary Arlene Cross

July 20, 1919 - May 12, 2013