Mary Becton

Mary Verneace Fuller Becton was born on February 10th, 1925 in Fremont, North Carolina to the late Leslie and Classie Virginia Pate Fuller. She was their only child. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by two daughters, La Vonchia and Mercedes Avatna Artis. She attended the Fremont Colored High School where she graduated in 1941, two years early. Mary later on attended Winston Salem Teachers College. After college, she married her first husband, the late Sylvester Artis. To this union four children were born. She remarried in 1964 to the late Robert Lee Becton and they had one daughter. Mary Becton held a series of jobs including substitute teacher and home health aide. But with her mother’s health failing, she returned home to take care of her mother full time. She later took care of her father in his final years as well. Besides raising her children, she also took care of her grandchildren and great grandchildren during the summer. Mary loved collecting poems and recipes. Most importantly, she deeply loved her family as well as her extended family. She loved her cousins and she would always say “I believe that’s some of my peoples.” She had loving relationships with several relatives including the Fullers, Pates, Exums, Barnes, Newsomes, McCalls, Vicks, etc. Mary loved the Lord, and in 1941 she gave her life to the Lord and became a faithful member of Elm Grove Church of Christ in Pikeville, North Carolina. In 2002 she moved to Upper Marlboro, Maryland to live with her daughter, Minnie. Shortly afterwards, she joined Antioch Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro. She is survived by two sons, Dwight Sylvester Artis (Alphonise) of Lanham, MD and Michael Owen Artis (Rosetta) of Landover, MD; one daughter, Minnie Virginia Becton of Bowie, MD; four grandchildren: Anil, Shomari, Soorya and Sanjeet Artis; five great-granddaughters: Jaylin, La’Crystal, Jasmine, La’Nia and Ara’Zyia; two Special God-Daughters: Laura ‘Peggy’ Whitley Bell of Goldsboro, NC and Rochelle Ingram Robbins of Washington, D.C.; Special friends: Mrs. Peggy Gray Coley who she loved like a little sister, Mrs. Vivian Coley who was her prayer partner, Mrs. Alyson Haydel, The Antioch Women’s Discipleship Group including Mrs. Evelyn Walker and Mrs. Wilma Smith.

Mary Becton

February 10, 1925 - December 18, 2020