Mary Shands Hedges

Mary Shands Hedges, 90, of Owensboro died Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at Owensboro Medical Health System. Born November 18, 1917 in Greenville, Mississippi, a daughter of the late Audley W. Shands and Eleanor Somerville Shands, Mrs. Hedges graduated from Sophia Newcomb College in New Orleans where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Following her graduation, she served as a civilian employee for the United States Navy with responsibility for logging shipping in and out of the port of New Orleans during WWII. As a result of her service in New Orleans, she was recruited by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to serve in an administrative capacity in Washington, D.C., where she met F.B.I. agent Elsum G. Hedges, who became her husband. Mrs. Hedges was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church since moving to Owensboro in 1963 and was active in many church activities, including service as President of the Church Women, a member of the Vestry. She loved music and was a supporter of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra. Actively involved with Cliff Hagan's Boys Club, Mary served on the board of directors. Mrs. Hedges was preceded in death by her husband, Elsum G. Hedges, and a sister, Eleanette Leake.

Survivors include her son, William Shands Hedges of Owensboro; her daughter, Eleanor Hedges Meisenheimer and her husband, Stephen Loring Meisenheimer of Knoxville, TN; her grandchildren, Lauren Meisenheimer of Milwaukee, WI. and Mike Meisenheimer of Greenville, SC; and her sister, Dorothy Shands Martin of Alexandria, VA.

Services, officiated by the Rev. G. Patterson Connell, are at 10:00 a.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church. Visitation will be from 4:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Glenn Funeral Home and from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church. Entombment will be in Owensboro Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Trinity Episcopal Church Building Fund or the Cliff Hagan Boys Club.