Obituary of Mary Louise Adams

Bedford – Mary Louise Adams, 89, of Bedford, died at 12:45 am on Monday, October 02, 2017 at her residence.

Born February 18, 1928 in Sergent, KY, she was the daughter of Herbert and Tinna (Smith) Hughes. She married Spencer Evans Adams on November 22, 1946 and he preceded her in death on November 23, 1982. She was the owner of the RC Bottling Company and retired in 1980. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, A.B.W.A., and the Red Hat Society. Mary lived through many historic eras and was part of the Greatest Generation.  She lived through the Depression, WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars.  Her children were part of the Baby Boomer generation.  She came from a long line of coal miners & she was a coal miner’s daughter.

WW2 had begun when she started her freshman year of high school.  She lived on top of a mountain in Eastern Kentucky.  During that time with gas being rationed, top priority for transportation was for soldiers and schools became less of a priority.  In order to attend school she had to move into an apartment 20 miles away from home, and get a job to pay for the apartment.  This was quite a culture shock for a young mountain girl who had made very few trips to the big city.  But, there were good parts also, she & her roommates would save money to make fudge & have fudge making parties on the weekend or go to the movie and every other weekend she would try to find a ride to go home.

The war ended in 1945 and she met her future husband, Spencer Adams, in early 1946.  On November 22nd, 1946 they eloped & she became a coal miner’s wife.  In 1954, he was offered a job in Virginia, where they moved and raised their children until 1961. In 1961, they purchased the Bedford RC Cola plant and the family has remained in the area since. They sold the plant in 1980 and retired.  She traveled with her husband all across the US, Europe and South America.

 After losing her husband in 1982 she continued to travel, visit relatives, and help raise grandchildren. She loved her family, traveling, good food, and needle work. 

She was a wonderful cook and was famous for her chicken and dumplings and her homemade rolls, which no one in the family has been able to duplicate.

The family always said she had nine lives because of many health issues that most people thought she couldn’t overcome.  She fought hard to the very end.

She was a wonderful woman & will be missed forever by family & friends

Survivors include daughter, Sandra Daugherty and her children, Elizabeth Gaither, and Scott, Leah Hillenburg and Phil, Teri Taylor and Derrick, Michelle Smith; son, Spencer H. Adams and Wendy Boyer, his children, Spencer W. Adams and Denise; son, Gary L. Adams and Debbie, and their children, Cinnamon Howell and Freddy, Atalie Anderson and Nikiha, David Sexton; daughter, Rhonda G. Goins, and children, Anon Goins and Crystal, and Audrey Goins; twenty-three great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a son-in-law, Dan Daugherty; a daughter-in-law, Carla (Cassidy) Adams; two sisters, Audrey Richie and Irma McCubbin.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 am on Friday, October 6th in the Elmwood Chapel of the Day & Carter Mortuary with Lee Brown officiating. Burial will follow in Cresthaven Memory Gardens. Visitation will be from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Thursday, October 5th at from 10:00 am until the hour of service on Friday, at the Day & Carter Mortuary. Family and friends may express condolences at www.daycarter.com.