Obituary of Thelma A. Mays Detar

Mrs. Thelma A. Mays Detar, 94, of Oil City, passed away at 5:50 AM on Sunday, March 5, 2017, at the Oil City Healthcare and Rehab Center. She had been a resident there for the past year. She was born on February 13, 1923, in Knox, Clarion County, to the late Rell L. and Iva P. Bell Mays. Mrs. Detar graduated from Shippenville High School, class of 1941. She married Ray D. Detar on April 30, 1943. Mr. Detar preceded her in death on June 4, 1970. Between high school and marriage, she assembled .45 caliber pistols in Pittsburgh for the U.S. Military. Following her marriage, she and Ray moved to the Titusville area, eventually settling in the Village of Enterprise. She was an elections inspector for Southwest Township and later became an auditor. She worked at the Pleasantville Golden Dawn, retiring from there in 1984 after 15 years of service. In 1995, she moved to Oil City where she lived with her son Dwight and his wife Judi. Thelma was a longtime member of the Enterprise United Methodist Church where she served as a lay leader, secretary of the Administrative Board for 20 years, a trustee of the church, and taught Sunday school classes for 23 years. After moving to Oil City, she attended Plumer United Methodist Church. Mrs. Detar enjoyed reading, embroidery, crocheting, knitting, candy making, growing violets and Christmas cacti, Silver Cornet Band concerts, Christmas and Easter shopping trips to Kraynak’s, visiting with family, and dinner at Red Lobster. She also enjoyed watching the 6 P.M. news, Wheel of Fortune, and local-on-the-8’s weather forecasts. Her candies were family favorites, including chocolate covered cherries at Christmas, and fruit and nut eggs at Easter. She is survived by three sons, Gail Detar (Chris) of Erie, Terry Detar (Rose) of Pleasantville, Dwight Detar (Judi) of Oil City; a daughter, Joyce Fitzgerald (Jock) of Clarendon; two sisters, Jean Wolfe (Joe) of Banks, AR, Phyllis Myers of Round Rock, TX; 9 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Mrs. Detar was preceded in death by a brother, John Mays. Friends may call at the Hennes-Garrett Funeral Home, 203 East Main St., Titusville, PA 16354, on Tuesday from 6 to 8 P.M. Further visitation will be held at the Plumer United Methodist Church on Wednesday from 10 to 11 A.M. with the funeral service to follow conducted by her grandson Rev. Eric Detar. Interment will be in Jerusalem Corners Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Plumer United Methodist Church, 51 Petroleum Center Rd., Oil City, PA 16301.