Known to her family as "Deenie," to her husband's family as "Marie", to others in both families as "Aunt Mary," "Nanny" or "Nan". To her sons she was "Mama," to her grandchildren, she was "Nana Mary," to her husband she was "Beb," "Sweetheart," "Sugar Plum," "Honey Bee" and "Honey Baby." Born March 30, 1949 in Church Point to Joseph Roosevelt Higginbotham and Yvonne Anna Guidry, Mary attended Church Point Elementary, Jr. High and High Schools as well as Gueydan High School. A playful, tough, and imaginative child, she always enjoyed the company of her extended family. Growing up in a less then affluent household of six children, she learned the value of strong faith, cooperation, hard work, and determination. Always deeply religious, in her teenage years Mary was actively involved at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church teaching catechism and assisting the Grey Nuns of the Cross (presently the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa) in their duties as sacristans for the church, preparing what was needed by the priests for sacred worship. Sensing a possible call to the Religious Life, Mary entered the Postulancy of the Grey Nuns in Gueydan remaining with them from 1964-1966 until discerning that God had a different plan for her. Returning to Church Point, Mary graduated from Church Point High School in 1967, and on April 26, 1969 married Bernice Guidry, the son of Noe' Guidry and Evelina Richard of Church Point. To this union was born two sons, Mitchell Gregory and Jody Matthew Guidry. As a young wife and mother, Mary was active in the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church Choir, the Church Point French Choir, the American Legion Auxiliary and the Church Point Centennial. When her children were in school, Mary assisted both the Sisters of Charity and the Blessed Sacrament Sisters in their work at Our Mother of Peace Elementary School. She volunteered extensively as a substitute teacher and catechism teacher, Hi-God summer program coordinator, supervisor of the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Altar Servers, and "Come, Lord Jesus" leader. Along with her husband Bernice, Mary also served the church as an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist distributing Holy Communion at Mass and to the sick and homebound. In 1984, Mary was asked by her pastor, Fr. Gene Tremie, to serve on the staff of Our Mother of Peace as Religion Administrator, a position she held for 30 years. "Ms. Mary" as she was known, supervised the religious education of hundreds of OMP studeints, taught religion classes, arranged and planned school Masses, and trained students and teachers to serve in various liturgical roles. This position would come to define who "Ms. Mary" was. A caring person with a loyal and loving heart, though she was a physical mother of two, she became a spiritual mother to countless more to whom she taught and showed the love of Christ. After her retirement in 2014, she took on the role of caregiver to her husband who would become seriously ill. Ms. Mary died suddenly of heart failure at mid-day Saturday, March 4, 2017 at Opelousas General Hospital. Mary enjoyed cooking for her family, family gatherings, making holidays and birthdays special, talking and keeping in touch on the phone, keeping in touch and sharing with family friends on Facebook, watching good movies, listening to good music, shopping for clothes and shoes, singing and reading stories to her children, telling stories and sharing memories from the past and just simply loved God and her family. She also loved flowers and plants and visiting new places on vacations. She had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Monica, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, Blessed Francis X Seelos and the Infant Jesus of Prague. Mary is survived by her beloved husband and companion of nearly 48 years, Bernice Guidry of Church Point; her sons, Fr. Mitchell Guidry of Ville Platte and Jody Guidry and his wife Rachel of Opelousas; her grandchildren Tyler and Courtney Savoie of Sunset; her great grandchildren Kaden Alberado and Paisley LaHaye of Sunset; her mother Yvonne G. Higginbotham of Church Point; her brothers Rufus Higginbotham and his wife Belinda, Clinton Higginbotham and his wife Carolyn of Church Point; her sister and best friend, Glinda H. Thibodeaux of Lewisburg; her brother in law Paul Guidry of Baton Rouge; her sisters in law, Gladys G. Savoie of Church Point, Bernadine G. Richard of Plaquemine, Anna C. Guidry of Lake Charles, Jenny G. Higginbotham of Ridge, and Betty D. Levings of Baton Rouge; her Godchildren Melanie G. Jurlin of Church Point, Mark Thibodaux of Carencro, Lisa R. Arceneaux of Napoleonville and Jeremy Higginbotham of Lewisburg; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends; her grand dog Leo and new friend Kitty Kat. She was preceded in death by her father, Roosevelt Higginbotham; two brothers, Terry Lee and Charles Wayne Higginbotham; her grandparents Asa Higginbotham and Zoe David, Elie Guidry and Agathe Higginbotham, her niece, Erica Higginbotham Latiolais and great niece Rachel Lyons; her nephew Nicholas Thibodeaux and great nephew Tyler Thibodeaux; her brothers in law, Austin Savoie, Howard "Blue" Guidry, Russell Richard and Patrick Thibodeaux; her sister in law, Rita Guidry. Mary's family requests that visiting hours take place at Guidry Funeral Home in Church Point beginning at 11:00 am Tuesday, March 7, and end at 9:00 pm. The rosary will be prayed at 7:00 pm led by her son Fr. Mitchell Guidry. Visitation will resume at 8:00 am on Wednesday March 8 until the time of service at Our Lady of Sacred Heart Catholic Church for her Funeral Mass at 11:00 am. Her body will be laid to rest in the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Mausoleum on Hwy 35 north of Church Point. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in Mary's name to Our Mother of Peace Elementary, 218 N. Rogers St., Church Point, LA, St. Joseph Seminary College Flood Relief Fund, 75376 River Rd., St. Benedict, LA 70457, or to the Blessed Francis X Seelos Center, 919 Josephine St., New Orleans, LA 70130. Guidry Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of final arrangements.