MARY ANN THERKILDSEN

Mary Ann Searles Mayfield Therkildsen, of Centerton AR, born April 2, 1931 in Liberal MO, of Centerton has passed away on May 3, 2025. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey Isaac and Bessie Eythle Adams Searles, all of her brothers and sisters, Isaac, Owen, James, Harry, twins Jess and John, Zora Lou Fast and Margaret Davis, her first husband Marvin (Bill) Mayfield, their sons Joseph and Richard Mayfield, and her second husband Paul Therkildsen.

She is survived by her three daughters, (Mary) Becky, husband Jim Pim of Shell Knob, Missouri, Jerri Mayfield of Holiday Island Arkansas and Lisa, husband Don Norton of Rio Rancho New Mexico, grandson Sterling Arft, his wife Taralyn Anderson and great grandchildren Irelyn and Bruin Arft. She is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in the NW Arkansas and SW Missouri area, as well as sisters in law, Clara Belle (Geisler) Searles of Iantha MO, and Delores (Clubb Hinton) Searles of Darmstadt IL. She is also survived by Paul’s children, Paul Jr, Guy, Grant and Christy.

Mary Ann grew up in Liberal Missouri and married Bill Mayfield in 1948. They had five children together, and divorced in 1967. Bill passed in 1998. Mary Ann raised her girls in Chillicothe Illinois and supported her family as a cook and waitress in several Chillicothe and Peoria area restaurants. She completed her GED, then nursing training and received her nursing license in 1974. She was a nurse in the total care ward at Methodist Hospital in Peoria until meeting her second husband Paul Therkildsen. They moved to New Mexico, married and lived in the Tijeras NM area, in the mountains outside Albuquerque, where he was a professor of economics at the University of NM. There she worked in the Veterans Hospital until their retirement to Eagle Rock Missouri in 1993. Years later, they moved to their new dream home in Hammond Louisiana. Paul passed in 2019. Mary Ann moved to NWA to be closer to family and has lived in Centerton since his death. 

As she requested, her and Paul’s ashes will be scattered at the Gulf of Mexico, where she and Paul enjoyed vacationing.

Many thanks to family and friends, as well as Elite Hospice for their support during her recent health issues.