Mary Lou (Bilberry) Knowles April 3, 1951 ~ March 6, 2022 (age 70)

Obituary

Memorial services for Mary Knowles, 70, of Farwell, TX, will be held at 10:00 AM (CDT) on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at the First Baptist Church in Farwell, TX with Rev. Michael Holster officiating.  All of her family members and many friends will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Mary Lou Knowles was one of a set of twins born April 3, 1951, in Ruidoso, NM to the home of Georgia (Adams) and Roy Vandaley Bilberry, and died on the afternoon of Mar. 6, 2022 at her home in Farwell, TX.  The family moved to Portales when she was a teenager.  On Nov. 28, 1968, she was married to Robert Knowles.  Due to his work, they moved several times in the early years of their marriage, but settled in Plains, TX in 1975.  Mrs. Knowles worked alongside of her husband, helping him with whatever business he was involved in at the time.  Mary found time to earn a degree in Floral Arranging from Texas A&M.  In 1979, they moved to Denver City, TX, and shortly thereafter she opened her first floral shop.  In addition, she did the bookkeeping for her husband’s business.  In 1996, they moved to Clovis where she established Amanda’s Floral.  She retired from the floral business after 36 years in 2015, and moved to Levelland, TX.  In 2018, she moved again, this time to Farwell to be near her twin sister.

Church was always a large part of Mary’s life.  In Clovis, she was a member of High Plains Baptist Church.  In Levelland it was the Second Baptist Church, and finally in Farwell, she was a member of the First Baptist Church.  In addition to her business and her church life, Mrs. Knowles found time for many volunteer activities, including Meals on Wheels, the Festival of Trees, the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, Christmas for Local Kids, Altrusa Club, and the Main Street Program, as well as reading at the schools and volunteering to help with activities at the Nursing Home where her niece is the Director of Nurses. For relaxation and fun, Mary enjoyed gardening, and cooking for her family, and playing the slot machines at the casino.

She is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Balinda and David Schlehuber of Levelland, TX and Amanda Kemp of Clovis; five grandchildren, Damon Schlehuber, Conan (Victoria) Ashford, Catherine (Tyler) Krueger, Zachary Ashford and Noah Ashford; 4 great-grandchildren; a niece, Jennifer Ray and husband, Greg of Farwell; great-nephews, Dustin Ray and Roy (Melinda) Dia Bueno, and a great-niece Jacklynn Ray.  She was preceded in death by her parents, several half brothers and sisters, including Martha Dia Bueno, her twin sister, Linda Buzard who died Nov. 7, 2021, her brother-in-law, Jack Buzard and by her husband, Robert Knowles who died Oct. 5, 2015