Mary Lou Thayer, age 78 of Oroville, passed away peacefully the morning of Wednesday August 10, 2016 in Wenatchee, Washington. She was born in Bonita, Texas to parents LD and Florence Godwin.

Mary grew up in Nocona, Texas on their family farm along with her brothers and sister. She graduated from Nocona High School in 1956. After high school she moved to Dallas and attended Beauty School. In Dallas she met her lifelong friend, Ruth Ann Booth and they moved to California for a few years.

In 1963 Mary and her brother Bob came to Oroville to visit her brother Bill and ended up staying and she was offered a job at the Oroville Bank. While working at the Oroville Bank she met Dick Thayer and they married on January 25, 1964. Together they had two daughters, Sheryl and Michele. They later divorced in 1982.

In the late 1970’s Mary and Dick started Thayer Insurance in Tonasket and later opened an office in Oroville. They ran Thayer Insurance until the 1990’s when they sold to VIP Insurance and semi-retired.

During her retirement years she worked part-time at various places and she and her good friend Geneva Reeder (deceased) started a business flipping houses. They bought, remodeled and sold about 10 houses over the years. Mary later moved to Texas for a few years to be the primary caregiver for her mother until she passed away.

Over the years she was always available to help her daughters with the raising of their kids and her grandchildren always enjoyed their time in Tonasket with their Nana.

In 2005, she sold her house in Tonasket and moved to Seattle to be closer to her daughters and their families until she moved back to Oroville in 2011. She was an avid Mariners fan and even attended a few games.

Mary (Nana) will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

She is survived by two daughters, Sheryl (Thayer) Cook and Michele (Thayer) Hanley, both of Shoreline, Wash.; beloved sister Lena Camp of Mesquite, Texas; brothers Bill (Eunice) and Bob (Diane) of Oroville, Calvin (Jean) of Tonasket; grandsons, Dustin (Angie and daughter Carmen) Cook and Dylan Hanley and granddaughters Lacy (Michael) Pleger, Lindsay (Chris) Lawson and Mackenzie Hanley.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Francis Godwin; one infant sister, Violet Godwin and beloved sister-in-law Cathy Godwin.

Her services will be held at Bergh Funeral Home in Oroville on Friday, August 19, 2016 at 2 p.m. with a burial at Oroville Riverview Cemetery, with the Reverend Marilyn Wilder officiating. Memorial reception to be held at the Oroville American Legion afterwards.

Memorials may be made to the Oroville Senior Center, P.O. Box 31, Oroville, WA 98844

Bergh Funeral Services is in Charge of arrangements.