Mary A Samples

Mary Anna Samples, 89, of Fort Gratiot, went to be with the Lord on Monday, January 26, 2026.

She was born June 20, 1936 in Charleston, WV to the late Paul and Ona Arbuckle. She married Frank Sheldon Monroe Samples on October 24, 1954 in St. Albans, WV. They were married 66 years until his death on March 6, 2021.

Mary was a wonderful stay-at-home mom when her children were young. She volunteered with church, schools, Girl Scouts, and sports teams. She was an avid reader, an accomplished seamstress and a wonderful cook. She was famous for her Christmas baking, including made-from-scratch fruitcake, cookies and coffee cakes, which she loved to share with friends and neighbors.

When her children were in high school, Mary fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse. She graduated from the St. Clair County Community College LPN program in 1977. She worked in the ICU at Mercy Hospital and later in the maternity unit at Port Huron Hospital. After retirement, she and Frank spent winters in Kissimmee, Florida. She loved the Lord and was a member of Gateway Church in Marysville.

She is survived by three children, Frank (Mary Ann) Samples, Scott (Jean) Samples and Beth (Dale) Privette; seven grandchildren, Ashley (Dustin) Radney, Lindsay Samples, Caleb (Georgia) Samples, Steven Privette (Autumn Greene), Renee (Michael) Privette-Stutz, Luke (Natalie) Privette and Amos Privette; six great grandchildren, Smith and Arden Radney, Hailey, James and Harley Chapman and Orrin Edwards; and two brothers, Paul (Betty Jean) Arbuckle and Dan (Sue) Arbuckle.

Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon on Thursday, January 29, 2026 in the Marysville Funeral Home with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. The Reverend Dallas Berry will officiate. A livestream of the service will be available on Mary’s obituary page of the funeral home website.

Burial will be in Riverlawn Cemetery, Marysville. Mary’s family will serve as pallbearers.

Memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan’s Purse. To send condolences, visit marysvillefuneralhome.com