Mary Lou Pate Bullington, 99, of Bonifay, Florida died Friday, January 28, 2022.
Our Beloved Mary Lou, called Lou by most growing up, and Lulu by her Great Grands later in life, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ peacefully at home.
She was born at home in the Pine Hill Community of Holmes County on March 1, 1922 to James Ace & Carrie Smith Sikes. Mary Lou was one of eight brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she held many occupations, one of which is while her husband was stationed in Normandy during WWII , she welded airplanes for the war at the Eglin Air Force Base. When telling the stories of her time working there she would always add “and I’ve always said that is part of why we won the war.” Everything she did she did to the absolute best of her abilities. Gardening and working in her yards was one of her favorite past times, and almost each and every morning, that’s right where you could find her. The Holmes County Advertiser once published her with an “unusually large and beautiful red amaryllis, which matured and bloomed within 45 days, gaining sunlight from a skylight”. She traveled all across the United States, from Michigan, when her husband helped build the Michigan State Bridge. She traveled also to California, Texas, as well as visiting the famous Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, South Carolina with her daughter, Betty & her husband Broward.
She was a Charter Member of the West Bonifay Baptist Church, her home church since 1959. She sang in the Choir, cooked and helped in the kitchen with every Special Event held by the church. Mary Lou loved Jesus and she was a walking, talking, Miracle of God. On August 12, 1985, she was diagnosed with Cancer. One night there at home, while reading Psalm 91, she felt what she describes in her Testimony as “butterflies fluttering just at the place the Cancer was present.” When she returned to the Doctor for a follow up appointment she told him that he would not find any Cancer. They would in fact, not find anything. She wrote out a written Testimony, called “My Miracle” and passed this out to anyone she came in contact with to witness to them the goodness of God, and how He healed her of Cancer. “For He shall give his angels charge of thee, to keep the in all thy ways”. Because of her healing her family was blessed with another 37 years to enjoy her precious presence.
We honor Mary Lou’s amazing time here on earth, and we look forward to the day when we will see her again. We take comfort in knowing what the Word of God tells us in Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.”
Preceded in death by husbands, Hurtis Pate, Fred Rich, & Rev. Bill Bullington all of Bonifay, FL; parents, James Ace & Carrie Smith Sikes of Bonifay; daughter, Betty Dukes; grandsons, Lloyd & Billy Blankenship. Siblings, Lucille Bombach, Mildred Hathaway, Aubrey Sikes, Jim Sikes, Ruby Singletary, & Kate Sikes.
Mary Lou is survived by her granddaughter, Angela Yates of Bonifay; one sister, Thelma Brown of El Paso Texas; one sister-in-law Jean Sikes of Panama City; great granddaughters, Carrie Bryant, Rachel Kolmetz, and great grandson, Jared Yates; great great grandsons, Conner Strahan, Sean Kolmetz, and Kameryn Ector; several nieces, nephews, and great nieces & nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 PM, Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022 at West Bonifay Baptist Church with Pastor David Bryant & Tad Wilson officiating. Interment will follow in Bonifay City Cemetery with
James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel of Marianna directing.
To order memorial trees in memory of Mary Lou Bullington, please visit our tree store.
Our Beloved Mary Lou, called Lou by most growing up, and Lulu by her Great Grands later in life, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ peacefully at home.
She was born at home in the Pine Hill Community of Holmes County on March 1, 1922 to James Ace & Carrie Smith Sikes. Mary Lou was one of eight brothers and sisters. During her lifetime, she held many occupations, one of which is while her husband was stationed in Normandy during WWII , she welded airplanes for the war at the Eglin Air Force Base. When telling the stories of her time working there she would always add “and I’ve always said that is part of why we won the war.” Everything she did she did to the absolute best of her abilities. Gardening and working in her yards was one of her favorite past times, and almost each and every morning, that’s right where you could find her. The Holmes County Advertiser once published her with an “unusually large and beautiful red amaryllis, which matured and bloomed within 45 days, gaining sunlight from a skylight”. She traveled all across the United States, from Michigan, when her husband helped build the Michigan State Bridge. She traveled also to California, Texas, as well as visiting the famous Angel Oak Tree in Charleston, South Carolina with her daughter, Betty & her husband Broward.
She was a Charter Member of the West Bonifay Baptist Church, her home church since 1959. She sang in the Choir, cooked and helped in the kitchen with every Special Event held by the church. Mary Lou loved Jesus and she was a walking, talking, Miracle of God. On August 12, 1985, she was diagnosed with Cancer. One night there at home, while reading Psalm 91, she felt what she describes in her Testimony as “butterflies fluttering just at the place the Cancer was present.” When she returned to the Doctor for a follow up appointment she told him that he would not find any Cancer. They would in fact, not find anything. She wrote out a written Testimony, called “My Miracle” and passed this out to anyone she came in contact with to witness to them the goodness of God, and how He healed her of Cancer. “For He shall give his angels charge of thee, to keep the in all thy ways”. Because of her healing her family was blessed with another 37 years to enjoy her precious presence.
We honor Mary Lou’s amazing time here on earth, and we look forward to the day when we will see her again. We take comfort in knowing what the Word of God tells us in Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things have passed away.”
Preceded in death by husbands, Hurtis Pate, Fred Rich, & Rev. Bill Bullington all of Bonifay, FL; parents, James Ace & Carrie Smith Sikes of Bonifay; daughter, Betty Dukes; grandsons, Lloyd & Billy Blankenship. Siblings, Lucille Bombach, Mildred Hathaway, Aubrey Sikes, Jim Sikes, Ruby Singletary, & Kate Sikes.
Mary Lou is survived by her granddaughter, Angela Yates of Bonifay; one sister, Thelma Brown of El Paso Texas; one sister-in-law Jean Sikes of Panama City; great granddaughters, Carrie Bryant, Rachel Kolmetz, and great grandson, Jared Yates; great great grandsons, Conner Strahan, Sean Kolmetz, and Kameryn Ector; several nieces, nephews, and great nieces & nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 PM, Tuesday, Feb 1, 2022 at West Bonifay Baptist Church with Pastor David Bryant & Tad Wilson officiating. Interment will follow in Bonifay City Cemetery with
James & Sikes Funeral Home Maddox Chapel of Marianna directing.
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