Mary Elizabeth Knapp, 83, of Talihina, passed away Thursday, Oct. 14, 2004 in Fort Smith, Ark. She was born April 9, 1921 in Arkansas to Wesley and Ernia Pyland Payne. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Albion. She married Ual Knapp in 1949 in Van Buren, Ark.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one brother; one sister; one son; one stepson, Johnny Mack Knapp; and one granddaughter, Jennifer.

Survivors include three daughters and one son-in-law, Mary Louise and Bill Culley and Linda Marie Baugh of Talihina and Kay Dene McBride of Perkins, Okla.; four sons and three daughters-in-law, Eual Gene and Erin Knapp of Sallisaw, Gerald Ray and Jana Knapp, Billy Earl and Bonnie Knapp and Wesley W. Knapp of Talihina; two stepsons, Joe Herald Knapp of Tuttle and Eual Dean Files of Arkansas; 27 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and a dear friend, Betty of Gentry, Ark.; numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Prairie Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Ken Biddinger officiating. Burial will follow in Prairie Grove Cemetery under the direction of Talihina Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons.