Mary Ellen Warner, 81, of Lebanon passed away Sunday. She was born in Canon City, Colorado to Edward A. and Nellie F. Wood.

Mary grew up in the Canon City, Colorado area, and then in about 1945 her family left Colorado so her father could work in the recently discovered oil fields of the Texas Panhandle. In 1948, she met and married B.C. “Bud” Warner,

They lived in the Panhandle area until 1959, and then the family relocated to central California. In 1964, the family again moved, this time to Lebanon, Oregon, and then later that same year to Sweet Home. In 1968, after the two oldest children graduated, they moved to Albany where they lived until 1990.

In 1990, with Bud nearing retirement age, they moved to Sodaville. After Bud passed away in 1993, Mary stayed in Sodaville until 1997, and then she moved to Lebanon where she lived the rest of her life.

Mary dedicated her life to her family. She always put her children and grandchildren’s wants and needs ahead of her own and loved each and every one of them without reservation. In addition to raising four children, she was dedicated to her husband and supported him in every adventure in life, except she stopped short when Bud wanted to homestead in Alaska in 1956. With three children ranging in age from one to seven (the fourth had not yet arrived) that was not an adventure she was willing to undertake. Many years later, they did go to Alaska after the two oldest children moved there and Bud went there to work on seasonal basis. Mary visited Alaska several times afterwards to be with her children and grandchildren there, but Oregon was her home where she would always return after her visits.

Mary loved flowers and always tried to have nice flowers and plants around and in the house. Yellow roses were her favorite flower. In later years, you could always find hummingbird feeders in her yard because she loved to watch as they darted about and around the feeders. Mary was always a good cook and loved to bake. She loved to make German Chocolate Cakes. She made them from “scratch” and they never lasted long because Bud and the kids and grandkids were always eager to enjoy them. Her greatest baking accomplishment however was her coconut cream pie, it was loved by everyone who had the opportunity to sample it.

Mary is survived by: her siblings, Betty Jo Orr, Charlene Wood, and Don Wood of Tampa Texas; children, Ed (and his wife, Stephanie) Warner of Anchorage, Alaska, Dorothy (and her husband, Odean) Hall of Fairbanks, Alaska, Brad Warner of Soldotna, Alaska, and Suzanne (and her husband, Walker) Barmore of Lebanon, Oregon; six grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren. She was loved and will be missed by all of her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bud, in 1993.

A viewing will be held from 3-6:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 7, 2011 and 9-10:30 a.m., Thursday, December 8, 2011 at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel.

Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 8, 2011, also at Sweet Home Funeral Chapel. Final burial will take place at Lewis Cemetery.

Mary asked that in lieu of flowers donations can be made in her name to SafeHaven Humane Society or the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. Mary’s family requests that donations to the hospital be directed specifically to the Critical Care Unit of the Hospital in appreciation for all the wonderful attention and compassion shown by the staff to Mary in her final days.

Arrangements are under the direction of Sweet Home Funeral Chapel.