of Saint Louis, MO

May 5, 1929 - June 1, 2022

Mary Lynn Goe, age 93, passed away on June 1, 2022 at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She was born May 5, 1929 in Newark, Arkansas to parents Tillman William Kirkdoffer and Fannie Mae Marshall Kirkdoffer. She was married to John Houston Goe from 1947 until his death in 2016.

Mary was a dedicated member of the First Baptist Church in West Memphis, Arkansas since a teenager and until mid-life when she and John joined Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, Tennessee.

She worked in the banking profession from the age of 19, beginning in West Memphis at the Merchants and Planters Bank. She retired at 65 from the Bank of West Memphis, having become a Vice-President She was well-known in the banking industry and for many years she served as president of the Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Women Bankers.

She loved to travel our country as well as Europe, especially London. Locally, she and John were members of a Round Dance group where they enjoyed close friendships. Mary liked mystery books and music by singers such as Andy Williams. She watched the wildlife in her own backyard for hours, especially the birds, butterflies and squirrels. She had some flowers that were from her mother's yard that had become quite old and beautiful.

Known in her own family as "Nonnie", she leaves her daughter, Donna Lynn Goe Yandell of West Memphis, Arkansas and her granddaughter, Shanna Lee Yandell Shirreffs (Erik) of St. Louis, Missouri, as well as her great-grandchildren, Kaylee Lynn Shirreffs, Jayden Paige Shirreffs, Jack Boland, Rachel Boland, Tom Boland and Sam Boland all of St. Louis, Missouri. Mary leaves three brothers, Walter Kirkdoffer (Liz) of Atoka, Tennessee, Tillman William Kirkdoffer, Jr. (Linda Faye) of Cabot, Arkansas and John George Kirkdoffer (Kellie) of Morganton, Georgia. Mary leaves two sisters, Linda Sue Powell (Ivy) of Franklin, Tennessee and Brenda Mae Melton (Fred) of Southhaven, Mississippi.

Mary also leaves Matt Boland who was married to Mary's granddaughter, Tara, until her death in 2014. Later Matt married Molly Boland and Molly became "mom" to the four children who had lost their mother. A couple of years later Matt and Molly brought their own little girl, Blake Boland, into the family. Mary, "Nonnie", admired, appreciated and deeply loved Matt and Molly for the loving and happy home they provided for her four Boland great-grandchildren as well as for Blake. Mary enjoyed pictures of and stories about little Blake.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents; her husband and two brothers, Roy Dean Kirkdoffer (Etta) of Stuttgart, Arkansas and Charles Edward Kirkdoffer (Jane) of West Memphis, Arkansas; an infant sister, Edith Kirkdoffer and her beloved granddaughter, Tara Lynn Yandell Boland (Matt).

For the last 3+ years, Mary resided with her granddaughter, Shanna and Shanna's family in St. Louis, Missouri. They loved and cared for their "Nonnie" as she went through stages of dementia. Photographs during that time show a very happy, physically healthy, contented Mary.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks that a donation be made to TaTaSisterhood.org., a non-profit foundation established by Tara Boland before her death to target treatment for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Information is online or at P.O. Box 31374, St. Louis, Missouri 63131.

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 10, 2022 at the chapel of Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Memphis, Arkansas, at 10:00 AM followed by Graveside Services officiated by Erik Shirreffs on the grounds of Crittenden Memorial Park in Marion, Arkansas beginning just after 11:00 AM. A luncheon reception will be held afterward at Mi Pueblo Restaurant.

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