Mary passed from this life on Sunday, April 6, 2014 in the Seymour Nursing Home, at the age of 94 years 6 months and 5 days. Wake services were held on Thursday, April 10th at the Seymour Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. Funeral services were at Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Friday April 11th, with interment in the Woodson Cemetery.
Mary is survived by one son " Roy and wife, Marilyn of Seymour. She is survived by four grandchildren " Neal and wife, Jessica of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; Janet Chism, Tony and wife, Jennifer, and James all of Seymour, and James"wife Jackie of Maud, Oklahoma. Also, Mary is survived by eight grandsons " Curtis McGough and Calyn Chism of Seymour, Wesley and Graeley McGough of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Colton and Kyle McGough of Seymour, and Donald and Dominic McGough of Maud, Oklahoma. Other survivors include Duane and Billie McGough of Borger, Yvonne and Bobby Roberts of Moran, Mabel Larned of Graham, and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mary was eulogized by her nephew, Ronnie McGough of Arlington.
Mary met her husband Curtis(Mac) McGough in Camp Gruber, Oklahoma, while both were serving in the Army. She and Mac were married on October 25, 1945 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Mary completed her nurses training at the Newport Hospital in Newport, Rhode Island in 1940. From 1942-45, she served in the Army Nurse Corps with two of the three years she served in Devonshire, England. In 1946, she moved from Massachusetts to Woodson, Texas where she spent several years working "private duty", but in 1958, she became the director of nursing at Throckmorton County Hospital. In 1972, Mary began her service with West Texas Home Health, the first Home Health Services in Baylor County. She moved to Seymour in 1973.
Mary has always loved her profession, but home health was for her, the ultimate of self-fulfillment " as a caregiver, enforcer and teacher " the physician"s agent and observer in the patient"s home. In 1983, Outreach Health Services purchased the agency. The client and his welfare were always the first concern of the nurse and Mary McGough.
Mary has worn many hats during her years as a Nurse. While in the Army, stationed in France, her brother, James Dwyer was wounded and brought to the hospital where she was nursing, and when her superiors found out he was in the hospital, arrangements were made for Mary to care for her brother. When Mary was honorably discharged from her military services, she was a 1st Lieutenant.
During her career, she was Instructor for LVN School, Director of Nurses, Director of Health Services, and Agency Administrator. At one point, Dr. Nacol was going to "grandfather" her in as a PA, but this never transpired. Talking with those who knew her from Throckmorton County, Mary was their Doctor.
After many years, Mary realized she was feeling the onus of years and cut back her professional activity. She resigned as administrator but continued to assist with public relations, quality assurance, quality improvement and teller of tall tales of "the old days" and enjoyed every minute of it.
In addition to the profession she loved, she was also otherwise blessed with loving supportive parents, a brother without peer, a wonderful husband and a son who added to her blessing with his addition of a daughter-in-law and four super grandchildren. Those children have each had two sons, which were the highlight of her life.
Mary"s days were blessed with a multitude of wonderful friends " from school days in Massachusetts, the army years and to finally moving in with her son and his wife in May of 2012.
Mary was preceded in death by her spouse of fifty-two years, her parents, Francis Neal and Elizabeth Veronica Toner Dwyer, three brother " James, Thomas and Joseph, and last but not least her dog "Dandy".