Mary Teresa Mercer died Friday, November 5, 2021.

Mary Teresa Morgan was born February 24, 1929, the eldest of five girls and one boy on a farm and small store in County Louth in Ireland, to Patrick Morgan and Mary Elizabeth (Grogan) Mercer.

After attending her local primary school, she studied at the Dominican Convent secondary school in Cabra in Dublin.  She worked in the family business after leaving school while studying bookkeeping and accountancy.

In October 1951, she flew to Houston to join her sister Philomena and Aunt Annunciata in the Sisters of Incarnate Word Convent.  She was a naturalized citizen of the United States and was honored and proud to be a U.S. Citizen.  She studied for a B.A. at St. Thomas University followed by a M.A. in teaching mathematics.

In 1969, she left the convent and worked as a high school math teacher at Bishop Byrne High School in Port Arthur, Texas, and later as a computer programmer at Texas Instruments.

In 1976, she met John "Cliff" Mercer, and they married the following year.  In 1981, Mary Teresa and Cliff moved to Bella Vista, Arkansas.  Cliff came out of retirement to rejoin his former employer Tenneco in Detroit, but, after a short time, they settled down to a full and active retirement.

She loved to golf and was very competitive in all card games, especially bridge and canasta.  She was a charter member of St, Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Bella Vista.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Cliff; her father, Patrick; her mother, Mary Elizabeth and her sister Anne.  She is survived by her sisters Philomena, Cecelia and Regina; her brother, David as well as eight nieces and nephews.

Frank & Hattie Welnetz were honored to be special friends and advocates to Mary Teresa for six years in her Forest Hills neighborhood and for ten years while she was a resident at Concordia.  A special thank you also to all of the staff and management at Concordia Nursing Home for their loving concern and care.

Services will be held at St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Bella Vista on November 23, 2021, with rosary from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m., followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m., officiated by Father Barnabas Maria-Susa.  Inurnment will be held immediately after at the church columbarium.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Bernard of Clairvaux Catholic Church in Bella Vista.

Arrangements are by Bella Vista Funeral Home & Crematory, 2258 Forest Hills Blvd., Bella Vista, Arkansas. Condolences may be expressed at www.funeralmation.com.