Mary Esther Josephine Rayner

Mass of Christian burial for Mary Rayner, 92, Clinton resident will be held 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, April 30, 2014 in the St. Mary's Catholic Church officiated by Father Thomas Pudoto and burial will conclude in the Clinton Cemetery under the direction of the Kiesau-Lee Funeral Home. A wake service will be held 7:00 P.M., Tuesday, April 29, 2014 in the Kiesau Memorial Chapel. Mary Esther Josephine (Mitchell) Rayner was born May 1, 1921 to Christopher and Kathleen (Finnegan) Mitchell in Dublin Ireland and passed away Thursday, April 24, 2014 in the Integris Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma City. Mary started her young life in Ireland but at as a small girl she moved with her family to England. She graduated from St. Helena School in 1936. She attended Nursing School in Liverpool, England; she worked at the Paddington Hospital in London. She continued her education to become a Registered Fever Nurse at the Royal College and she took an additional two years in clinical specialty in childhood and communicable diseases. She was married to Mr. Ira Lloyd Rayner on December 8, 1944 in London, England. They young couple made their way back to Oklahoma and settled in Custer City. She became an American Citizen soon after her arrival. She started her working career at the Thomas Hospital. She also worked for many years at the Clinton Hospital where she also taught at the Nursing School. The family moved to Clinton in 1955. She has helped to organize and operated many of Clinton's family services. She held the first position of being the Custer County Civil Defense Director. She organized the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse Treatment Program in Clinton, she helped to write the first Grant for the CA.R.E. Program, she served on the board for Western Oklahoma Literacy Council, She served on the board of directors for the Custer County Chapter of the Red Cross, she helped in writing grants to help build the District Headquarters of the highway patrol station, She served as President elect of the Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, the district task force on Child Abuse Prevention, she helped establish Action Associates, she helped support the Family Violence Prevention and Services act; she has prepared written guidelines on Child Safety for use by schools , the Women's Crisis Shelter. She help to establish the Register Nursing School at Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. Mary has written many other grants and has volunteered many hours of service for the betterment of Clinton and Western Oklahoma. She is a member of the St. Mary's Catholic Church, she served as a Boy and Girl Scout Den Mother, and she has received countless awards and recognition but was most proud of the Diana Award that was presented to her by the Beta Psi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha Sorority at the state level. Many years ago she entered a contest and coined the phrase that we still use today, Hub City of Western Oklahoma. She was preceded in death by her parents, and two brothers, Herbert Mitchell and John Mitchell. She is survived by her husband, Ira, of the home, four sons, Terry Rayner, of California, Bob Rayner and Danny Rayner of his wife, Jeannette, all of Oklahoma City and Chris Rayner, of Clinton. She is also survived by 7 grandchildren, Brandon Rayner, Brian Rayner, Matthew Rayner, Johnathan Rayner, Lilliana Rayner, Michelle Adams and Danielle Dodson and two great-grandchildren and nephews and nieces that live in Australia.