Mary E. Demarco

Mary Elizabeth Mines was born on April 6, 1922 in Decatur, GA. When Lizbeth was just three years old, her father died suddenly, leaving her mother with 5 children. Since she was unable to support all of them, she was forced to place Lizbeth and her older brother in an orphanage. During the years she spent in the orphanage, Lizbeth discovered a passion for reading which has stayed with her to this day. When she was 10 years old her mother was able to bring Lizbeth and her brother back home. Lizbeth spent the next years studying and attending school until she graduated from Avondale High School as an Honor Student. She was awarded a partial scholarship to Agnes Scott College, but the remaining $326 yearly tuition was more than her mother could afford.

So instead, Lizbeth worked as a Nurse's Aide until 1942 when she went into the WAAC (Women's Army Auxiliary Corps). After a year she was sworn into the regular Army, WAC (Women's Army Corps). "Minesy", as the girls called her, was the entertainment of the women's barracks. She played guitar and sang country tunes, and accompanied herself on the harmonica. Once, while she was writing a letter to her sister, the girls begged her to play for them a while. Each girl took a turn writing a paragraph of her letter, so she would be able to sing for them. Her sister saved that wonderful letter for her, and we still have it.

Minesy was the Company Cook, and went to Camp Polk, LA, to open up the prisoners-of-war camp there. After that, she was stationed in Pueblo, CO. It was there that she met Army Air Corps Sergeant, Joe DeMarco. They were married on Sept. 15, 1944, and Joe was then sent to fight in Guam.

After the war, Mary Elizabeth (as she was called now by her new family), was very happy to visit with her Mother-in-law and learn how to cook all of the great Italian recipes that had been passed down in the DeMarco family.

Joe and Mary moved to Baltimore, MD due to a job offer that Joe received. They lived in Hamilton and were active at St. Dominic's Catholic Church. They raised four children and one foster son. Mary was very well known in the community for her compassion and willingness to help others. She took care of all the elderly neighbors, and was the day-care provider for young mothers trying to get back on their feet.

After Joe's death in 1979, Mary provided the day-care of her grandchildren, and in 1991 moved in with her daughter, Marianne, in Abingdon. She started attending Cokesbury Memorial U.M.C. at that time, and has made very many friends there. You would always see a cheerful face, and hear an amusing anecdote when you saw Mary DeMarco!

Mrs. DeMarco is survived by her sons, Joseph M. DeMarco Jr. of Essex, MD and James C. Valkos of Mesa, AZ; daughters, Marianne Potter of Abingdon, MD, Susan J. Amoroso of Towson, MD and Annette C. Miller of Hammonton, NJ; 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.