MaryLu R. Hainey

MaryLu R. Hainey passed away on the 4th of February at Diversicare of Council Grove. She passed away peacefully in her sleep.

MaryLu Rachel Hainey, wife of the late Eldon Hainey, was the daughter and only child of Robert L. and Mary L. Crawford. She was born in Burlington, Kansas, on March 7, 1929. MaryLu was raised on a farm and she helped with many of the chores as she got older and also worked with various farm animals. She had a fondness for horses and her favorite was her horse, Trixie, a 4th generation descendent of the famous quarter horse Man o’ War. She spent practically every waking moment with this horse; teaching her tricks and racing her at fair events at Kelly Park in Burlington.

Many years later, MaryLu acquired a rather unique smaller horse which she named Lady. This was a horse she rode once in the local Flint Hills Rodeo parade accompanied by her granddaughter, Amy Magathan. This horse was very spoiled!

In 1948, MaryLu Crawford was elected the Homecoming Queen for the Burlington High School Wildcats football season. This ceremony was recreated in 2014 by her sons and daughters-in-law, with a photo taken of MaryLu at the 40 yard line holding a bouquet of white mums and wearing the gold football necklace that belonged to her father. This necklace was awarded to him and each of his teammates in 1921 for a 3 year record of undefeated seasons.

During her early years growing up in Burlington, MaryLu had the opportunity to see two very well-known individuals in her life-time; Robert Wadlow and Sister Elizabeth Kenny of Australia. Wadlow was noted for being the tallest living person in the world of the time and Kenny was well-known for her treatment of victims of polio. MaryLu spoke of these two occasions quite often.

MaryLu was one of the founders of the Chase County Artist’s Guild of which she painted landscaping scenes in water color. A number of these have been passed on to family members.

She was also the local Postmaster of Cottonwood Falls starting out as a Clerk in February of 1966 and retiring as the Postmaster in March of 1988 with a little over twenty-two years’ service. She took great pride in her postal service duties.

MaryLu also had a love for outdoor landscaping and flower gardening of which her talents showed at all five of the residences she and Eldon owned and lived in here in Cottonwood Falls. They were twice awarded the Lawn of the Season honors at two of those residences by the local Women’s Rainbow Garden Club.

MaryLu was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Eldon; and daughter, Merlea Hainey Magathan. She is survived by sons, Roland (Nancy) Hainey of Cottonwood Falls and Gordon (Brenda) Hainey of Mayetta. She is also survived by seven grandchildren and many great grandchildren.

Cremation has taken place with a private family service to be held at a later date in Elmdale Stoehr G.A.R. Cemetery west of Elmdale. Memorial donations may be made to Rainbow Garden Club, in care of Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home, PO Box 220 Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.

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