Jim Bob Duggar’s mother Mary Duggar has died at the age of 78. The family made the announcement Sunday evening on Facebook with a brief obituary that described her as “a follower of Christ, a wife, a devoted mother, a loving mother-in-law, and a much-loved grandmother.”
The death comes as a shock to fans who were unaware that Mary was having any health issues. Jill Dillard shared a post on Instagram, and she seems to suggest that Mary’s passing took the family by surprise as well. “My heart breaks ? My grandma died suddenly today!” Jill began her post, included in its entirety below.
Here is the full announcement from the Duggar Family:
We are so sad to share that Grandma Duggar (Mary) passed away Sunday afternoon, June 9th, 2019. Mary Lester Duggar grew up in Farmington, Arkansas and was married almost 50 years to J.L. (Jimmy Lee) Duggar who preceded her in death.
Mary found great joy in sharing her love for Jesus and her own story of how at age 15 she asked Christ to forgive her for her sins. It was at that time she committed the rest of her life to live for Him, a commitment she kept with devotion. She loved to share with others how they too could be forgiven of their sins, live a fulfilling life as a Christian, and one day spend eternity in heaven.
She is survived by her daughter Deanna and her son Jim Bob, 21 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, with several more great-grandchildren on the way!
Mary Duggar was also a successful real estate broker who owned Good Neighbor Realty and was noted in Northwest Arkansas for being the broker who put together the property sale for the John Q. Hammons Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Springdale.
Grandma Mary Duggar has been on the TLC shows, 19 Kids & Counting and Counting On with her family for over 15 years. She is greatly loved and will be missed so very much! She lived a tremendous life as a follower of Christ, a wife, a devoted mother, a loving mother-in-law, and a much-loved grandmother. Proverbs 31:10-31 describes the virtuous woman, indeed she personified these beautiful verses with her life.
We deeply appreciate your prayers for our family and all who loved Mary during this time.
Jill Dillard and Josh’s wife Anna Duggar have also posted about Mary’s passing on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
Jill’s message:
My heart breaks ? My grandma died suddenly today! She was an amazing woman of God and such a great example to so many! ? Grandma, you are greatly missed by all who knew you! ? She was a feisty, incredible woman who always took the time to talk about Jesus with everyone she knew! I know she was ready to check outta here and get her new body in heaven before the old one started giving her too much trouble! ? We miss you so much!! ??#maryduggar #rip #grandmaduggar #safeinthearmsofjesus❤
UPDATE Jill has penned a lengthy tribute to her grandma and the impact Mary had on her with a blog post titled “A Life Well Lived: Lessons My Grandma Taught Me” – just click the link to read it.
View this post on Instagram
From Anna Duggar:
Great-Grandma Duggar went to heaven today to be with Jesus! ? What an awesome woman of faith and such a loving example of God’s love. She was a true soul-winner and loved everyone she met, telling them to turn from sin and trust Jesus for salvation! Miss her soooo much and we cherish each moment we were blessed to spend together! Lots of tears being shed here — grateful for all the prayers! ??
UPDATE – Here are more posts made by additional members of the Duggar family:
Our thoughts are with the Duggar family at this time.
Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com
