Mary Jewel Harvey

Mary Jewel Harvey (nee Cadenhead), 61, of Big Lake, Alaska, died May 1, 2011, after a courageous four-year battle with cancer.

Friends and fellow volunteers of the Blood and Fire Pantry at the Meadow Lakes City Center organized a celebration of life service May 2.

She was born Aug. 17, 1949, in Bryan, Texas, daughter of Philip Wayne Cadenhead, DVM, and June Lavonne. She w

as an Aggie by birth.

She and her family moved to Hempstead, Texas, where she graduated from high school in 1968. She then attended Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She taught grade school in Hempstead, as well as in New Mexico and Alaska. She home-schooled her two children and was proud of them when they graduated.

She married Jeff Harvey in 1974 and they moved to Alaska in May 1991, and she was a proud Alaskan from then on.

Mary Jewel will be remembered by her family as a loving, kind, pretty, petite and generous person who was a tough fighter. The family wishes to thank all her friends for helping Mary Jewel through her life in Alaska, especially the last five years.

Mary was preceded in death by her father and younger brother, Bill Cadenhead; she is survived by her daughter, Amy Jewel Campbell and her husband, Calvin, of Wasilla; son, Christopher Harvey and wife, Kimberly, of Katy, Texas; and grandchildren, Shawna Jewel and Cayden Campbell.

Also surviving are her sister, Patti White, and her mother, June Patterson, both of Lockhart, Texas, as well as many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Valley Funeral Home and Crematory Wasilla cared for the family.