Mary May is the real McCoy—a native Idahoan. In fact, aside from a brief time when she made her first appearance into this world in the Wendell hospital, Mary May has lived her whole life in the Wood River Valley.
The oldest, with three younger sisters (Jolene, Elizabeth Ann and Debbie—all of whom also live in Idaho—Gooding, Jerome and Moore, respectively), Mary May had an all-American childhood. Her mother and father owned Neyman Chevrolet in Hailey, and she and her sisters attended public schools and enjoyed the outdoors—especially swimming in the summer. She worked various jobs, including clerk at Chateau Drug in Ketchum and cashier at the Opera House in Sun Valley. It was a wonderful place to grow up. As Mary May remembers, “We never locked our doors. You could walk anyplace at any time, and you knew everybody.”
One day, while at the Star Café in Hailey, a man walked in. His name was Max. Mary May knew who he was, as her friends called him “uncle.” Her first thought was he’s not as old as she thought, for aren’t uncles always a generation older? At the time, Max and his family owned the Deer Creek Ranch, where they raised hay while raising cattle and sheep. Mary May and Max started seeing each other, and after Mary May spent a year at college in Pocatello, they married and moved to Hells Canyon, where they lived for about a year while Max worked construction on the dam.
Returning to the Wood River Valley, Mary May and Max ran Sun Valley Motors (located where Argyros theater presently sits) and built the first home on Timber Way, where Mary May lives to this day.
Whether by luck or plan, Mary May and Max had three children—each three years apart. Their oldest, Melody, is a nurse, lives here in Hailey and has provided Mary May with seven grandchildren (five girls and two boys), all of whom have graduated from college. The second daughter, Ellen, lives in Boise with her husband, while their son Mark lives in Ketchum and works for Thornton Wine Imports. Two more generations of confirmed Idahoans!
Max, the love of Mary May’s life, died nine years ago. He was a hard worker and, as Mary May describes him, “a man with a great sense of humor and someone whom everyone liked.”
After the children were grown, Mary May and Max did venture out of Idaho to many faraway places, on organized trips and with friends—to Hawaii and Alaska, Spain, Hong Kong, South Korea, Panama, Peru and Thailand, to name a few.
If there is one place Mary May would like to see, it is England—the land of her ancestors.
In the meantime, there are family events, such as an aunt’s 100th birthday party in California, and a family reunion near Arco last summer of over 70 relatives on her father’s side.
Today, Mary May spends lots of time at The Senior Connection. She plays bingo and cards, participates in the exercise program, attends the Diner’s Club dinners and all of the wonderful events offered by the center. When asked what she enjoys the most, Mary May says, “I love everything—the people, the food—and everybody is so very kind and helpful.”
