Mary Ann Bufkin Bond was born June 30, 1950, to Cayce Bufkin Jr., and Mary Johnson Bufkin. Her parents were both 90 years old, when Mrs. Bufkin was rushed to the hospital on May 28 this year. After bidding his wife goodbye that day, his son heard him fall when he suddenly died in his bedroom. Their 73rd wedding anniversary would have been on June 3, 2022. Her mother is still active at 90. Mary Ann has a younger sister, Janice Bufkin Gully, a widow living in Chatom, Alabama, and a brother, Cayce Wayne Bufkin, who lives in Hickory with his wife Debra Smith Bufkin.
Mary Ann’s family were members of Hickory Baptist Church, where she was saved at the age of nine. But, recalling a more vivid encounter with the Lord when she was eighteen, she shared, “I was asleep when I saw Jesus coming back in the clouds. I woke up and cried out, ‘Oh no! I haven’t told enough people about my Jesus!’ I felt like I had not done enough and decided, ‘I’ve got to get serious about telling about my Jesus!” That was the year the Lord brought her husband Davis into her life, and she prayed about that, too.
A BETA Club member, and a cheerleader, Mary Ann played girls’ basketball and graduated from Hickory High School in 1968. At East Central Junior College, she completed a one-year business course, having prayed for a good job to help pay for a wedding to her sweetheart, Charles Davis Bond. The Lord provided, as in 1969 she gained employment with the East Central Planning and Development District in Newton. After thirty years, in 1999 she retired from her position there as Fiscal Officer.
Having met on a blind date set up by a friend, Mary Ann and Davis were married July 7, 1969, at Hickory Baptist Church, where the family still are active members. Mary Ann has taught Sunday School since 1981. After serving as organist for 26 years, at Mary Ann’s request, the pastor’s daughter agreed to take the position. She enjoys the Wednesday night Ladies Bible Study held at the church. Her husband Davis, a deacon, who has served as Deacon Board Chairman at times, heads up the Security Committee and has served on several other committees.
Charles Davis Bond, born August 13, 1946, to E. J. and Pauline Bond, both from Central Mississippi, had several siblings. Davis and Mary Ann recently visited his brother, Sidney Bond, who lives in Floyd Knobs, Indiana, before traveling on to the Smokies then home. He has a sister Rachel Lyles whom, in a nice coincidence this past Sunday, I had just met while attending church in Meridian. Another is Elizabeth Lopez who lives in Spring, Texas, and his sister Miriam Bond, lives in Brandon, Mississippi. Davis’s sister Rose Wallace is deceased. In 2000, Davis’s mother had a massive stroke and heart attack and was moved to a nursing home. Also in 2000, his father, blind with macular degeneration, fell, breaking his hip. He entered the nursing home to stay in the room with his wife, where he died in 2007. Mrs. Bond passed away there in 2009.
On September 11, 1972, the Bonds’ son Chadwick Davis Bond was born. Chad, a teacher and coach at Newton County High School, is married to Jennifer Jackson Bond, a teacher at Newton County Elementary School. April 30, 1975, their son Christopher Charles Bond, a general contractor, owner of Bond Properties, LLC, in Madison, entered the family. He is married to Robin Bond, a pharmaceutical representative, and their children are Sawyer Bond, 14, and Ridge Bond, 3.
Mary Ann’s health would not allow another pregnancy. After years of much prayer, they were led to just the right adoption agency, where they received a beautiful baby girl, Cayce Ann Bond, born July 18, 1984. Cayce is married to Adam Lane, of Madison, and their children are Greyson and Cruz. She works in her husband’s insurance business, Creative Group Benefits, in Madison.
In 1980, Mary Ann took a course in Computer Science and loved it. She helped develop the software for EC Planning and for seven other districts in the state of Mississippi. Sharing how she had loved her job, she recalled, “It was never boring, always something new. I made a lot of wonderful friends all over the state. It was a very exciting job because we were helping people.”
Mary Ann continued, “My plan was to work another ten years, but God’s plan was different. I developed fibromyalgia and IBS, and began having migraines. The doctor said I needed to retire or have a heart attack or stroke. So I retired, but it took a year to begin to feel better.” She had been concerned about health insurance, as Davis was self-employed, but the Lord gave her a verse, Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.” She has relied on the promises of God to take care of them, and the Bonds agree that God has done that through the years.
Davis had graduated from Lake High School in 1964 before beginning work at La-Z-Boy. After they were married, he went to work for a finance company, then Mutual Savings and Greater Mississippi Life Insurance Company. In the early 80s, he became employed at Troy Brand’s furniture store in Hickory and managed it several years. Davis went into business for himself when he opened a Western Auto store then a hardware store, with used cars on the side. After Walmart came in, changing the dynamics of retail, Davis and a friend began a golf cart business.
After he separated from that partnership, he and an assistant, Bo Walker, traveled all over the state of Mississippi, servicing golf carts in country clubs. He then had a heart attack and had to cut back. She says of Davis, “He is still working, still going strong,” as people bring their golf carts to him to repair.
Mary Ann keeps busy and loves to read. She invited me to the Hickory Reading Club that has been in existence since 1934. She enjoys doing needlework, playing the piano, and visiting with friends. On their fiftieth wedding anniversary, she and Davis pulled their camper out west, where the Lord enabled Davis to wrestle their truck with no power steering into a drive going down a long grade. They stayed a month in and around Spearfish, South Dakota, waiting for the truck to be fixed.
After her retirement, she said, “I’m just Meme now to the greatest little guys in the world.” Davis told me when he came home for lunch, “If I could describe Mary Ann, it would be Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” Thank God for homes and families where the husband and wife, after almost 54 years of marriage, can speak so lovingly about each other.
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon! You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
