Mary Elizabeth Biesemeyer
October 7, 1926 ~ November 6, 2023
Mary Elizabeth Biesemeyer, 97, of Overbrook, KS, passed away Monday, November 6, 2023, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, KS. She was born October 7, 1926, in Boonville, MO, the daughter of William Buckley and Bessie Pearl (Mosier) Buckley. She grew up and attended schools in Boonville, MO. She graduated from Boonville Junior-Senior High School with the Class of 1944.
She was united in marriage to Howard Hugo Biesemeyer in 1946. They settled and raised their four children at Weatherby Lake., MO. After 30 years of marriage, they divorced. Then she met and married William “Bill” Turnbaugh in 1985. At the time she was in New York City, NY working for TWA. She and Bill explored NYC and she had the time of her life.
Prior to having children, Mary acted as the bookkeeper for her brother-in-law’s (Ellsworth “Cass” Cassing) and husband’s heating and air conditioning business in Boonville, MO. They later moved to Wichita, KS, then moved to the Kansas City area in 1958. In 1974, she began working for Trans World Airlines in Kansas City, transferring to NYC in 1980 to work at LaGuardia and J.F.K. Airports.
Mary had a gift of singing. She liked singing with choirs and had a chance to sing competitively. It wasn’t unusual for her to just burst out in song. Way before the time of female athletes, Mary was one. She enjoyed swimming, ice skating, roller skating, and golf. Later in life she loved doing jigsaw puzzles, playing scrabble and reading. She will be remembered for her fun-loving personality, her contagious laugh, and her love of being outside. She loved the heat and sitting outside in the sun. That earned her the nickname of “Sun Goddess”.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents; husband’s, Howard and Bill; a son, Michael; two brothers, Charles William and Walter Buckley; a sister, Marguerite Buckley Cassing; and Lyn’s partner, Glynn Graham.
Surviving family includes, daughter, Lyn Cheek of Liberty, MO, son, Matt Biesemeyer of Overbrook, KS, daughter, Laura Biesemeyer and her husband, Chuck Farrell of Overbrook, KS.
A Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held during the Summer of 2024. Information on that will be sent out at a later date. Condolences may be sent to the family through www.lamb-roberts.com.
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