Mary Shipman

A memorial service for former Florence mayor Mary Lou Shipman, 76, who died Saturday at NMC Health, formerly Newton Medical Center, will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Marion Christian Church. Burial will be later at Hillcrest Cemetery, Florence.

Born Feb. 10, 1949, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Thomas James and Elsie Mae (Slape) Slaughter, she married Orris Ronald “Ronnie” Shipman on April 12, 1969, at Florence Christian Church.

She worked at Beechcraft in Wichita and St. Luke Hospital and Living Center in Marion.

Survivors include her husband of Florence; children Sandy Sprowls of Marion, Lee Shipman of Florence, Tammy Bremer of Florence, Ronda Drow of Florence and Jimmy Shipman of Marion; 27 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Her parents and sister Donna Rae Emmerson preceded her in death.

A memorial has been established with St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital.