Ivy Louise Sayres Hurry a long-time resident of Clements Maryland passed away on Monday, March 20, 2006 in St. Mary?s Hospital, Leonardtown, MD. Mrs. Hurry was born May 3, 1922 in Grafton, West Virginia, the youngest daughter of Silas E. Sayres and Ruhama Ivy Mahaffey Sayres. Mrs. Hurry attended Fairmont State College during WWII completing her undergraduate degree in teaching in three years. Following graduation, she taught one year in Daybrook, West Virginia, near the Pennsylvania border.
In 1944 she moved to Washington D.C. where she was employed as a dietician at Suburban Hospital. In 1945 she took a new job teaching Home Economics at Margaret Brent High School in Helen, Maryland. In September 1946 she married John William Hurry. Together they operated Hurry and Anderson General Merchandise in Clements Maryland until 1949 when they moved to a farm outside of Clements. Her sister, Sarah Sayres also moved to St. Mary?s County where she married Thomas Guy.
Mrs. Hurry subsequently taught in some of the last two room school houses in St. Mary?s County teaching grades 5 through 8 in one classroom. Mrs. Hurry taught first at River Springs School in the 7th District and then the Clements School. After the closing of the small schools, Mrs. Hurry taught at Great Mills Elementary School.
Mrs. Hurry was active in the Farm Enumeration program sponsored by the Maryland Agricultural Extension Office from the University of Maryland. In the 1971 she was appointed to the Charter Writing Board charged with developing a charter government for St. Mary?s County. At that time, St. Mary?s County was governed by a board of only three county commissioners. The proposal was defeated in the election of 1972. Mrs. Hurry subsequently became involved with the Office on Aging for St. Mary?s County where she served as a Senior Services aid operating the Oakley Senior Center. After retirement, Mrs. Hurry remained active in senior affairs.
Mrs. Hurry was a member of the Retired Teachers Association of St. Mary?s County and a long time member of Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Chaptico. She had an abiding interest in Maryland history and was a long time volunteer at Historic St. Mary?s City. Her husband predeceased her in 1971. She is survived by six children, Ivy Louise Hurry, Sue Ann Blackwell, John William ?J? Hurry Jr., Silas D. Hurry, Robert J. Hurry, and Charles R. Hurry. She had six grandchildren, Jessica Blackwell, Alys Blackwell, Kathleen Smith, Charles Hurry Jr., Ashton Hurry and Bryce Hurry and one great-grandson Eli Smith.
Family will receive friends at the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, Maryland on Thursday, March 23rd from 3 to 7 p.m. with prayers offered at 6:00 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Friday, March 24th at 10:00 a.m.at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Morganza, MD with the Reverend Keith Woods, pastor of the church, will be the celebrant.Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family request memorial contributions to ACTS P.O. Box 54, Bushwood, MD 20618, St. Mary?s County Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 653, Leonardtown, MD 20650 or Historic St. Mary?s City Commission, P.O. Box 39, St. Mary?s City, MD 20686.
