Mary Alice DeLong Vaughn was an amazing person. The oldest of eight children, she was born December 10, 1923 to Robert DeLong, a southern Michigan farmer, and Mary Brown DeLong, a school teacher. She grew up in a family that valued education—she was valedictorian of her graduating class at Three Rivers high school. Mary Alice planned to be a missionary to China so attended Moody Bible Institute. Six hours short of graduation requirements she married Russell Lyle Vaughn, an Army Air Corps sergeant. She completed her university studies twenty years later and went on to teach school in Juarez, Mexico and political science at New Mexico State University.

Mary Alice had three children, Fr. Peter Russell (East Moline, IL), Patrick John (Red Lion, PA), and Nancy Ruth (Hickory, NC). She had nine grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren. She never became a missionary, but taught Bible studies for fifty years. One son and three grandsons did serve as missionaries; another grandson is a pastor.

After the quarantine is lifted, her ashes will be mixed with Lyle's and sprinkled from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon—Lyle's favorite place to camp. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Amani ya Ju, a Kenyan mission to refugee women. Send to Fr. Peter Vaughn, 2002 12th St., East Moline, IL 61244, 309-798-8376, [email protected]

All glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever. Amen.

.