Mary Virginia Hannum

Mary Virginia Hannum, age 88, passed away Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at Royal Gardens Health & Rehabilitation Center in Grants Pass, Oregon.

A celebration of Mary’s life will be from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on December 5, 2009 at the Recreation Club House at Brookside Village in Rogue River, Oregon. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Mary was born February 19, 1921 to James & Mirriam Leathy in Hollywood, California. During her youth she became an accomplished dancer and performed on stage. She married Kenneth Hannum September 20, 1936 in Santa Ana, California. They lived in Gardena, California while Kenneth served in the United States Navy and she was a homemaker. They eventually moved to Garden Grove, California. He operated a barber business and she was a homemaker looking after their two children, Kenny and Mary. Kenneth retired from his barber business and the two of them completed a course in motel management. They moved to Big Bear Lake, California in 1969 where they managed Harbor Cove Resort until Kenneth’s death in 1976. Mary continued there for a a short time and eventually relocated to Rogue River, Oregon in 1979. She worked part time at Poor Jose’s restaurant until her retirement. Mary was known as an excellent seamstress and also as the ‘Rogue River Hat Lady’. She spent the last several years of her life knitting hundreds of hats for disadvantaged children. She loved sewing, playing cards and visiting her many friends.

Survivors include a son, Kenny and daughter-in-law, Johnnie Hannum of Grants Pass, Oregon; daughter, Mary, and son-in-law Mike Rehers of Big Bear, California; life partner, Jack Wohler of Rogue River, Oregon; two brothers, Bill Leathy of Fresno, California and Joe Leathy of Los Lunas, New Mexico; twin sisters, Katherine Tarver of Freemont, California and Carol Argenbright of Irving, Texas; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A brother, James Leathy preceded her in death.