Mary HortonLauderdale

 Mary Horton Lauderdale, 85, of Greenville passed away October 4, 2011, at her home. Graveside services will be at 3:00 pm, Sunday, at Forest Park Cemetery.  A celebration of her life will follow at 4:00 pm, at Greenville Club Lake Clubhouse, 4466 Clubhouse Road.

Born December 1, 1925, in Greenville, Mary was a fourth-generation resident of Greenville.  Her family were early pioneer Hunt County residents, arriving here while the territory was still The Republic of Texas.  She was the daughter of Gen Hal C. Horton and Gertrude Briscoe Horton of Greenville.

She graduated from Greenville High School in 1943 and the University of Texas in Austin.  While in Austin, she met Sam Lauderdale and they married in 1948. Very shortly after that, they used Mary’s great-grandmother’s secret fruit cake recipe to start what would become a multi-million dollar mail-order business, Mary of Puddin Hill.  For more than 50 years, they ran the company, enjoying greeting friends and customers at the Puddin Hill Store, an East Texas landmark filled with delectable foods and gifts.  

In 1996 Mary was named president of the Retail Confectioners International, the global association for small retail candy manufacturers.  In 1998 she received the prestigious Kettle Award from the candy industry, recognizing her as candy manufacturer of the year. 

The Lauderdales sold the company in 1999.  Caring for Sam, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, became Mary’s consuming work until his death in 2001.  Upon Sam’s death, Mary “flunked retirement” and reinvented herself several times over, working with Nancy Kate Hamilton in her catering business, and later helping her grandsons, Robert and Richard Kearns, with their garden mosaic business and retail store in Downtown Greenville.

In 2005, Mary started to write yet another chapter of her life – Janeen Cunningham, owner of the Calico Cat clothing and gift shop in Downtown Greenville, hired her to help in the back room.  Even as she battled cancer for the third time, Mary refused to give up, missing as little time at work as possible and inspiring everyone with her courage and sheer determination.  At 85, she worked full-time at the Calico Cat, unpacking and pricing merchandise, as well as helping to manage the inventory and special orders.  Mary was a beloved part of the Calico Cat staff and of the community, showing everyone that life is always an open book to be lived with a sense of adventure.

She is survived by her daughter Mary (Pud) Lauderdale Kearns of Greenville, her grandsons Robert Kearns and wife Caitlin of Baltimore, Richard Kearns and wife Stacie of Fort Worth, brothers Hal Horton, Jr of San Antonio and his wife Lelloine, Jack Horton of Greenville and his wife Joyce, nephews Jack Horton Jr. and wife Paula of Greenville, Paul Plunket and wife Donna of Dallas, nieces Lelloine Waits and husband David of Abernathy,  Judy Newton and husband Lee of Houston, and Beth Horton Dittrich of Anchorage, Alaska, and numerous grand-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her sister Sarah Horton Plunket, brother-in-law Paul W. Plunket, and her nephew Hal R. Horton. 

The family requests memorials be made to the Hunt Regional Healthcare Foundation, P.O. Drawer 1059, Greenville, TX 75403, or the YMCA of Greenville, 1915 Stanford Street, Greenville, TX 75401.

Pallbearers are Pat Staples, Joyce Staley, Judith Abbott, Janeen Cunningham, Alicia Lake Smith, Holly Gotcher and Katherine Ferguson.

Honorary pallbearers are the staff of the Calico Cat and anyone who has shared an adventure with Mary.