Mary L. Cloud

Mary Lou Cloud became a citizen of Heaven in the early morning hours of January 1, 2025. Mary Lou was 93 years old at the time of her passing, having been born in Sioux City, Iowa on June 9, 1931, during the Great Depression (or June 8 as she and her family had celebrated for many decades before finding her official birth certificate). She was a current resident of Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. She was living with her son and daughter-in-law Randy and Loretta for the past two years as her ability to live independently decreased. She had lived in beautiful San Diego for 70 years prior to moving to Kansas City, most of that time in the same Cloud house on Beatrice Street.

For most of her life, Mary Lou was a compassionate homemaker and mother to three busy boys. She worked briefly at Point Loma Nazarene University in Church Relations and at Chula Vista Nazarene church as secretary. Mary Lou and her late husband Dennis loved their church and their Lord. They were involved in all aspects of church life: Mary Lou played the organ, taught the senior high Sunday School class, enjoyed being part of the Senior Adult group, and were at church quite literally every time the doors were open. Mary Lou and Dennis were known for their evangelistic outreach to friends and neighbors over the years. They had many stories of praying with folks, some on their death beds, as they presented the good news of the Gospel. Many folks today remember how Mary Lou and Dennis impacted their lives and the lives of their families as they introduced God’s kingdom to them. They all were gathered at Heaven’s gate this morning to welcome her home!

In mom’s last couple of years, the impact of multiple medical issues slowed down her pace. But she had a sharp mind always and enjoyed jig saw puzzles, wordsearch games, and watching Padres baseball games on TV. Just two weeks before her death, she sent out over 50 Christmas cards to her dear friends and family, all signed and addressed by her. On Christmas day she amazed her family by showing them all how to twirl a baton, just like she had in high school days.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her beloved husband Dennis, her father and mother Oliver Earl and Catherine Matilda Brown, her siblings, Clarence, Leonard, Eileen, and Oliver Jr. (Jackie). She is survived by her three handsome boys and their lovely wives, Randy and Loretta from (Olathe, Kansas), Jarry and Cindy (Temecula, CA), and Mike and Kristin (Raymore, Missouri) and her seven beautiful grandchildren and delightful spouses, Adam and Dani Cloud (Olathe, Kansas), Shannon and Joey Ferreyra (Fairway, Kansas), Mitchell and Brittany Cloud (Shawnee, Kansas), Marshall and Taylor Cloud (Washington, DC), Kailene and Matt Robinson (Nederland, Colorado), Marissa and Andrew Henrich (Poquoson, Virginia), and Michelle Cloud (Temecula, California). She had eight perfect great grandchildren: Ayden, Juliet, Lincoln, Nolan, Gemma, Remy, Finley, and Marloe. Mary Lou and Dennis have too many loving relatives across the country to count properly and a great crowd of church and neighborhood friends from across the years.

Mary Lou will be interred at the tiny but family-significant Higgins, Texas cemetery during the first week of January next to the absolute love of her life, Dennis. The Higgins tombstone fittingly reads: “Life is not forever, Love is.”

To share a memory of Mary, or to leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.