Mary Jean Watts

Mary Jean Watts

June 8, 1928 - March 13, 2026

Williams, Oregon

The life of Mary Jean Watts began on June 8, 1928 and ended on March 13, 2026 when she passed at the Age of 97.

Mary Jean was born in Santa Cruz, California to Alfred Witcliff Wyatt and Dorothy Jean Taylor Wyatt. Her sister Patricia was born the following year on July 22, 1929. Mary Jean and Pat spent their younger years playing on the beach and swimming in the San Lorenzo River. Always a fond memory for the sisters. In 1939 they were greeted with a half-sister, Meredith Florence Whitestine Nicoletto, now deceased.

In 1942, the family moved to Provolt, Oregon where Mary Jean continued her education in the one-room Provolt Grade School. Following grade school, Mary Jean attended Grants Pass High School with the class of 1946.

On May 6, 1945 Mary Jean married Jerry Stone. They Lived on the family dairy farm in Provolt, Oregon where they raised their three children, Ginger, Teresa and Max. This marriage lasted 20 years.

On November 24, 1968 Mary Jean married Ben Watts. Together she and Ben ran a logging outfit. The couple lived in several locations until 1972 when they built a new home on the old Watts Mine property in Williams, Oregon. The logging business also moved to this location.

While living in Williams Mary Jean and Ben were longtime members of Provolt Community Church. Mary Jean served as the church Treasurer for over 20 Years.

Mary Jean loved to travel. When she and Ben travelled there was usually a hunting trip involved. Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska were destination hunting grounds. Mary Jean also travelled to Hawaii several times, to England with her sisters Pat and Meredith, to Germany when her granddaughter Karrie was stationed in Munich, and to Holland when her daughter Ginger was working there.

In 2016 the house at the top of Watts Mine Road was sold. Mary Jean and Ben continued to live there until 2018 when they purchased and moved into a home that was 1 mile down the road at the beginning of Watts Mine Road. At 90 years old Mary Jean remodeled the interior of the home and Ben built a shop on the 5 acre property. They lived in this home until Ben passed on April 6, 2024, Shortly after Ben's passing, Mary Jean moved into The Countryside Village in Grants Pass, Oregon where she resided until her passing.

Mary Jean is survived by two daughters, Ginger Bowne and Teresa Hyde (Larry) and a son, Max Stone (Gail). She also leaves behind 11 Grandchildren and many great and great-great grandchildren.

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