Mary M. Friel

: A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Mary Matilda Parks Friel at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Queenstown, MD on Friday, May 14, 2004 at 11:00 AM. She was the wife of the late James Reynolds Friel, deceased of Bowlingly, Queenstown. Born February 26, 1912, she was the younger daughter of the late Claude F. and Mary Jane McFeely Parks of Chestertown and the granddaughter of the late Rufus F. and Nannie Sanner Parks of Chestertown and Harry Reese McFeely and Martha Virginia Dudley McFeely of Centreville. Upon the death of her mother, she made her home with her maternal grandparents until their deaths, at which time she made her home with her great maternal aunt, Mary Matilda Dudley Comegys, in Centreville. Upon her death, she then lived with friends, Robert Edmund Carville and Ida Dawson Lowe, of Centreville, becoming a foster daughter. Her primary and secondary educations were in Centreville, receiving honors from each, the SAR Citizenship Medal, Best All Around Girl award and those in French and English, Declamation Contests and others. She received her BA Degree from Washington College in Chestertown, in 1936, serving as officers in numerous clubs and Vice President of Women’s Student Council, together with being outstanding in athletics. She attended Gills Secretarial School in Baltimore, MD in 1934, then employed by a law firm as a Secretary. She then returned to Centreville and became Social Editor of the Queen Anne’s Record newspaper. Later, she co-founded and managed the Queen Anne’s Little Theatre and acted in it as well. On July 16, 1938, she married James Reynolds Friel of Queenstown, born August 9,1907, eldest son of Samuel Edward Whiting and Martha Washington Denwood Reynolds Friel and moved to Queenstown for the rest of her life. Mrs. Friel was active in civic projects: Children’s Aid Society, Queen Anne’s County Red Cross, Wildfowl Group, N.A., Church Hill Theatre Group, Women’s League of Washington College. She was a Charter Member and twice Board of Directors member of the newly formed Queen Anne’s County Historical Society, starting and editing the first Society newspaper and active in hostessing. She founded and chaired the Queen Anne’s County Dancing Class, Centreville in 1956, for the youth in the county. Mrs. Friel is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Edward Anton Huber of Allendale, NJ and Mrs. Pamela Friel Bernard of Queenstown, MD; one son, James R. Friel, Jr. of Centreville; one son, John Friel, a twin, died in infancy; seven grandchildren, Christopher Reynolds Huber, of Prather, CA, Michele McFeely Huber of Lansdowne, PA, James Reynolds Friel, III of Stevensville, MD, Darann Whiting Friel of Chantilly, VA, Robert Urban Friel of Centreville, MD, Peter James Bernard of Dover, DE and Pamela Whiting Bernard of Centreville, MD and Kimberly Kern Huber ,deceased of Allendale, NJ. She is also survived by six great grandchildren, Bailey Edward Huber and Savannah Leeann Huber of Prather, CA, Alexander James Bernard of Dover, DE, Samuel James Patrick Friel, Jacob William Friel and Noah Thomas Daniel Friel, all of Stevensville, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the following: Queen Anne’s County Hospice, 300 Del Rhodes Avenue, Queenstown, MD 21658, St. Peter’s Church, St. Pauls’s Church (Centreville) Washington College, Centreville High School, Queen Anne’s County Historical Society, National Historical Trust, Talbot County Hospice, St. Jude’s Cancer Fund, Diabetic Association (American) and Queen Anne’s County Farm Museum.

Mary M. Friel

May 9, 2004