Mary Donata Davis

Mary Donata Capello Davis passed from this life on September 19, 2014. She was 94 Years old. Mary had lived at the Indian Oaks Nursing Home in Killeen, Texas since 2010. Mary was born in Chicago, Illinois to Joseph Capello and Anna Nastari Capello on June 16, 1920. Joseph and Anna had four girls. The first one was named Mary but she died shortly after birth. The second girl was then also named Mary. The other two sisters were Judith Rose (Jari) and Josephine. In 1925, Anna and the three girls rode the train to Maxwell, New Mexico. After Joseph Capello’s death, Anna married Joe Cervo. They had five children—Irene, Joe, Lily, Helen, and Johnny. They lived on a farm and Mary, being the oldest, was expected to work in the fields to help support the family. She always bragged about how strong she was and how good she was at gathering the hay. When Mary was 21, she was working at a café in Maxwell. One day a young man came into the café for lunch. He looked at Mary and told his friend “I am going to marry that girl!” and he did. J.B (Jack) Davis and Mary were married April 17, 1942. They had three children –Nancy, Donna and Jimmy. Jack worked in road construction and helped build highways all over New Mexico for the next 15 years. They moved from little town to little town as the construction camp moved. The kids sometimes changed schools 4-5 times per year. In 1957 they decided to settle down in one place for the kid’s sake and they bought a house in Clovis. In Fort Sumner in the late 1940s, Mary worked for her sister-in-law, Sue Guilliams, at Sue’s Café cooking, waiting tables and washing dishes. In Clovis, Mary worked for Dunlap’s in downtown Clovis, Ann Lee’s and Wanda’s Children Shop. She enjoyed working for these department stores getting to meet and talk with people. Later, she worked as a caregiver for several elderly people. Her husband Jack passed away in 1992 and a short time later Mary moved in with her son, Jimmy and his family, and lived with them until 2010 when she entered Indian Oaks Nursing Home. Jimmy was in the Army and Mary got to live in many fascinating places and saw many things. Mary was a faithful member of the Christ of Christ and attended the16th and Pile Church of Christ in Clovis for about 35 years. Then she attended church regularly wherever Jimmy was stationed. Her last church home was the Youngsport Church of Christ, Killeen, TX. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jack Davis, her sisters, the first Mary Capello, Judith Rose Nighbert, Josephine Crowson , Irene Hronich, and Helen Rea Owens, and her brothers Joe Cervo and Johnny Cervo. Mary is survived by her daughters Nancy Sparks (Allen) of Ft Sumner, NM, and Donna Worley of Corpus Christi, TX, and son Jimmy Davis (Pat) of Harker Heights, TX; one sister Lily Rea of Raton, NM: granddaughters Karla Howard (Bobby) of Lake Dallas, TX, Linley Crawford (Alan) of Weatherford, TX, and Ashley Davis of Galveston, TX and grandsons, Don Sparks of Ft Sumner, NM, Bret Worley (Alissa) and Jordon Davis of San Marcos, TX; six great-grandchildren Preston and Trevor Howard of Lake Dallas, TX, Colton and Chelsea Crawford of Lubbock, TX, Ayden and Reagan Worley of Corpus Christi, TX; two step-great-grandchildren John Wiley of Selina, KS, and Wendi Abeyta of Clovis NM, one step-great-great granddaughter Autumn Long of Ft Sumner, NM; along with many nieces and nephews. The family would like to express their deep gratitude to the staff at the Indian Oaks Nursing Home for excellent care they gave Mary during her stay there. A very special thanks goes to Cynthia Hoskins for being a very special caregiver and companion for the past several years. A Memorial Service will be held October 11, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. at the Ft Sumner Church of Christ, Fort Sumner, NM. Memorial donations may be made to the New Mexico Christian Children’s Home, 1356 New Mexico Road 236, Portales, NM 88130.