Mary Rochell

Mary Carolina Rochell, 102, of Austin, Arkansas went to her heavenly home on Sunday, January 30, 2022. She was born to the late Jacob and Ruth Harlin Malnar on February 5, 1919 in Eros, Louisiana. Mary was a faithful member of Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Arkansas since 1969. There she served as a Sunday School teacher and a member of the Women’s Auxiliary. Always a hard worker, Mary held various jobs. She worked as a seamstress, a beautician, a dairy farmer with her husband, Houston, a gardener, and finally as a babysitter for families in the area for several years. Mary was well known in the community for sewing quilts, mostly by hand, and making fried pies for church fundraisers.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Glenn Houston Rochell; sons, James “Sonny” Rochelle and Robert “Bob” Rochelle; daughter, Betty Rochell; granddaughter, Vonda McNair; and grandsons, Glenn Snow and Chad Rochelle.

She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Snow and her husband, Joseph, of Des Moines, Iowa; daughters-in-law, Rita Rochelle of Good Hope, Illinois and Sue Rochelle of Rock Island, Illinois; grandchildren, Debbie Mairet and her husband, Dennis, of Saint Paul, Minnesota; Dennis Snow and his wife, DeVon, of Des Moines, Iowa; Shavonna McManus and her husband, Marlin, of Milan, Illinois; Tony Rochelle of Galesburg, Illinois; Tami Melchi and her husband, Mike, of Rock Island, Illinois; a faithful nephew Glenn Warren Rochelle, of Little Rock, AR and several other nieces and nephews; a host of great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Arkansas. Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery will follow the service.