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Mary Allen Scruggs, 79, of San Antonio died Thursday October 20, 2008 at Kingsley Place Medical Center. Visitation will be Saturday, November 22, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Mission Funeral Home North, 3401 Cherry Ridge. Celebration of Life Chapel Service will be at Oak Hills Church, 19595 IH 10 West, 3:00 on Sunday, November 23. Graveside service will be at 10:00am, Monday, November 24, at Mission Burial Park North 20900 IH 10 West. The youngest of six children, Mary Allen was born on October 6, 1929, in Sanderson, Texas at the home of her parents, Anna Elizabeth Lee Allen and Robert Newton Allen, Sr. She graduated Valedictorian from Sanderson High School in 1946 and earned her B.S. from Abilene Christian University in 1950. Her first job was in San Antonio at Seelingson Engineering. She left San Antonio for the American Red Cross, entertaining troops with her vocal trio. She married, and began her career in social work in California. She raised her family in Mississippi and in 1978 she and her children moved to Abilene where she was a counselor for Christian Homes of Abilene serving as surrogate "Mom" to countless unwed young women. Mary worked with Girling Health, Genetics Counseling Service, Humana Metropolitan Hospital in San Antonio, and at 58 she obtained her Master of Social Work at Our Lady of the Lake University through the Warden School. She worked with Rapha, Inc. and for the Genesis Treatment Center formally Minirth Meier. She was a licensed Master Social Worker, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. She volunteered for the March of Dimes, the Cub Scouts, the Abilene Christian University parents committee, she was a Zeta Rho Alpha sponsor and she worked with Abilene's Highland Church of Christ jail ministry. She was active for many years with San Antonio's Oak Hills Church where she was recently a worship leader for her Women of the Word Bible Class. She wished to be remembered as "Loved, Cared, Helped and Went to be with the Lord". Mary is survived by her daughter Karen McCurley and Karen's husband Mark of Singapore, daughter Melinda Gales and Melinda's husband David of Nashville and her son Lee Scruggs of San Antonio along with three grandchildren Bethany McCurley, Adam McCurley and Alexander Gales, her brothers David Allen and James Allen and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and church community. Mary's family requests donations be made to the Oak Hills Church Memorial Fund in honor of Mary Scruggs at the address above or to the American Red Cross.

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Mary Allen Scruggs

October 6, 1929 - November 20, 2008